Cornerstone At The Park

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. This is the first assessment for this service, which was registered in February 2023. This key question has been rated 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 79 (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 visions for the service were displayed and staff knew and understood these. These values formed part of the recruitment of staff. The registered manager explained it was important for staff to have these qualities to ensure consistency of support for people. The registered manager shared an example of feedback they had received from a professional about a staff member and told us, “These are the successes for me, this is what makes it worthwhile.” The registered manager and senior staff demonstrated a commitment to the values and led by example. Photographs of senior staff were displayed against the background of the provider’s values saying ‘Welcome to the management team’. A staff member told us, “The management, the support workers, the office all together help and support us. The team care.”

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The registered manager was highly knowledgeable and experienced and was passionate about sharing this with staff. They told us, “The company is all about progression. All about getting people to be the best they can be. People say it’s like a family atmosphere.” Staff were supported to develop confidence in their roles and were encouraged to consider further development. The registered manager identified staff strengths and considered how these could best be utilised to support the people living at the service. For example, it had been noticed that people felt comfortable chatting with the housekeeper, particularly about their personal care. The care manager had developed an oral care awareness programme about the sugar in drinks. As part of this programme the housekeeper was trained as an oral health champion to recognise people were comfortable chatting to them. This had been successful in enhancing people’s knowledge and understanding about their oral care.

The registered manager and senior staff were highly visible within the service and took an active part in the care of people living there. A staff member told us, “We always call them [managers] and they are always there. These people help us to feel motivated, supported and carry on with our work.”

The registered manager had agreed to the service trialling a pilot for the provider to enhance supportive engagement. This was to make sure the time staff spent with people was meaningful.

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

The service had an open and transparent approach. The registered manager had an ‘open door’ policy. Staff were supported to speak up. A ‘you said, we did’ approach was taken as a result of staff surveys. The registered manager was keen to ensure staff read and understood these and so had recognised placing a copy on the back of the staff toilet door would ensure it was read. During staff meetings each staff member was asked if they wished to contribute and were encouraged to do so. A staff member said, “They [managers] listen.”

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 was a diverse staff team which the registered manager had considered reflected the people living at the service and the local community. The service had policies in place to ensure staff were treated equally and without bias. A staff member told us, “The best thing is I meet different staff, nationalities and cultures but everyone is really supportive.”

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.

The registered manager was supported by a care manager, deputy managers, senior support workers and a health and wellbeing lead. There was clarity about roles and responsibilities and the registered manager had good oversight of the service. An electronic dashboard had been developed which showed the level of compliance about checks and audits. Where gaps in oversight had been identified the provider took action to develop further checks to continuously improve governance systems. However, we identified some instances where these systems had failed to identify a shortfall in paperwork. The registered manager took immediate action to rectify this.

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 service was an active part of the local community. Staff showed their commitment to caring by, for example, taking time to support a member of the community who had fallen ill, while being mindful of their responsibilities to the people in their care. Staff were praised by bystanders for their intervention. People were encouraged to volunteer within the local community and told us about their involvement and how this had given them confidence to become more independent. Posters were displayed in communal areas with details about trips to local shows and information about how to get involved to support local charitable organisations, such as Hornsea Inshore Rescue and the Veteran Friendly Framework. This was particularly important for ex-military veterans who lived at the service.

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.

The registered manager fostered an environment of continuous learning and improvement across the whole service. They allowed staff to work creatively to develop highly individual support for each person. The service had an iterative approach to care, and staff were empowered to review and trial new approaches. Staff were encouraged and supported to develop their knowledge and understanding. The registered manager ensured this was shared across the service to benefit all staff and improve the quality of care people received.