Merecroft

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The registered manager had a clear vision, “To provide consistently safe, person-centred support where people have genuine choice and control, achieve meaningful outcomes and enjoy the best possible quality of life. We will continue to create an environment where people feel valued, respected and supported to live fulfilling lives in a way that is meaningful to them.”

Staff spoke positively about working at Merecroft and described an open, supportive culture centred on the needs of the people they supported.

The registered manager encouraged staff to raise and discuss concerns. Staff felt comfortable seeking advice and support and were confident they would be listened to.

A relative said, "The atmosphere is good, and there is nothing I have seen that causes concern. I appreciate all the things I've mentioned because they do the best they can. They work very hard to support all our young adults, each with different needs."

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The registered manager was enthusiastic and passionate about the work they did and open to feedback and learning. The registered manager told us they were supported in their role and spoke positively of the support they received. Everyone we spoke with knew who the registered manager was. One relative said, “[Registered manager name], I’m very happy with because they email and I’ve got phone numbers. There always contactable.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff felt confident raising concerns and believed they would be heard and appropriate action taken. They knew how to report poor practice and understood their responsibility to speak up about any concerns for people’s wellbeing or safety.

The registered manager worked with people, relatives, staff and other professionals to instil a culture of care which valued and promoted people's individuality, protected their rights and enabled them to live the lives they wished. The registered manager was open about lessons learnt and actions taken to prevent recurrence. They understood duty of candour and their responsibilities. They had ensured relatives were kept up to date with any concerns about people's care needs. The provider had up to date whistleblowing policy and procedure in place and information for staff on how to raise concerns. People, relatives, and staff were actively encouraged to feedback either formally or informally. For example, through individual conversations, during staff meetings and supervisions.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff said they were treated fairly, felt included and were able to share their views about the service. Processes in place supported equality, protected staff rights and promoted fair treatment, including an equal opportunities policy.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. The management team were responsive to feedback. The registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities and there were clear systems and processes in place to ensure the service ran safely and effectively.

The provider was displaying their rating in the home as required by law. In addition, they were also displaying their rating on their website for people to see.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

Records showed people accessed other professionals when needed, and staff knew how to seek advice and make referrals. For example, staff referred one person to the speech and language therapy (SALT) team for assessment and further guidance. People were supported to maintain relationships, and visitors were welcomed into the home. Where concerns were raised by neighbouring residents, the service responded proactively and sought to develop positive relationships by inviting neighbours to meet and discuss their concerns.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

Learning from safeguarding concerns, incidents and events was shared with staff through forums such as governance meetings. The provider shared learning across the wider organisation, including findings from CQC inspections and local authority quality assurance visits. Staff were also updated on learning from across health and social care, including CQC press releases.