Newline Care Home

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 71 (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 proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

We reviewed incidents between October 2024 and June 2025. The provider made referrals where appropriate and took appropriate action and reviewed the outcomes of the incidents. The outcomes were disseminated to the rest of the team. The provider completed a monthly review of accidents and incidents which included an identification of patterns and trends. The main focus of this analysis was falls. The registered manager told us they identified a pattern of an increase in falls during a particular time of the day and used this information to adjust staffing levels.

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.

People and relatives told us the registered manager was approachable. A person commented, “I have never been told that [registered manager’s name] is in a meeting and can’t be disturbed. Sometimes she may be busy but will come and find me when she is free.”

The registered manager was passionate about her work with people and staff. They told us, "Care always comes first."

The management team explained to us how they organised the rotas to support staff’s work - life balance, and how they encouraged staff to develop by gaining further skills and qualifications. Staff told us they enjoyed working for the service. A staff member commented, “We all work together and help each other out. We all get on. Managers are approachable.”

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

Staff felt confident in raising any concerns with the management team and felt that they would be listened to. A staff member told us, “I would call [names of registered manager and deputy manager] if I needed to speak to someone. Morale has been improved; management has pushed for open communication.”

There was a complaints process in place and the registered manager explained to us the steps they would take if they received a complaint.

People and relatives told us they did not have complaints about the service. They told us when they had raised any issues or areas for improvement, these had been quickly acted upon.

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.

There were policies and procedures in place to ensure the provider met their legal obligations to staff and encourage an inclusive culture and optimise staff well-being.

Staff told us they were treated well, supported equally by the management team and would not hesitate to speak to the management team. Any issues were discussed at team meetings, in handover or during supervision.

The registered manager told us they made adjustments to accommodate staff’s personal circumstances and focussed on providing an environment that was supportive of staff feeling good in their jobs so they could provide the best care to people. The registered manager commented, “Staff are as important as the residents.

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.

However, we found some examples wheremanager oversight and compliance with the provider's own policies and procedures could be improved, as well as the effectiveness of some quality assurance processes. For example, lack of detail in some risk assessments and, at times, thickeners being accessible to people had not been identified before our inspection. We found policies and procedures linked to recording of mental capacity assessment’swere not always being followed. We did not find evidence of any of these issues having a detrimental impact on the quality of care people were receiving.

The registered manager was responsive to this inspection's findings and took appropriate actions or told us the action they would take to address issues found.

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.

The management team collaborated openly with external professionals to meet people’s changing needs and to explore improving practice. For example, during one of our visits we spoke with two dietitians who were visiting the home and who explained to us they were part of a local programme to offer support to care homes by reviewing how people were supported with their nutritional and hydration needs. Newline Care Home had accepted this additional support offered by community healthcare professionals.

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.

The provider was focussed on continuing improvement for the service and had an ongoing plan for this.

The management team actively participated in a local network of care provider’s that shared knowledge, resources and good practice.