The Hollies

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.

There were posters around the site displaying the company values. Staff at all levels worked together to provide quality care and support to people living at the home. The atmosphere in the service during our site visits was calm and relaxed.

Feedback from staff showed them to be committed, compassionate, and a person-centred team. Staff demonstrated strong relationships with people, they had a good understanding of individual needs, and a proactive approach to safety and wellbeing. There was a clear culture of learning, openness, and teamwork. A staff member when asked what they liked most about their role said, “Seeing a smile on a service users face and knowing you are making a difference to someone's life who needs the support.”

The registered manager led by example and empowered people to live full lives. The registered manager and staff knew people very well and understood the challenges they faced. Support was tailored to meet individual needs. There was an on-call system for staff to use if needed for things that happened when management weren’t on site. The registered manager said, “We have a 2-tier on call system. The team leaders will be on call on rotation. There is then emergency on call. Any situation where staff need support they would call. I may even need to call someone for support and there is someone available to call if needed.”

This meant people benefited from being supported by a team that worked together with shared values and a clear focus on delivering high-quality care.

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 openness and honesty.

Members of the wider management team also knew people living at The Hollies and were known to staff. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager. One staff member said, “No matter what you’re knocking on the office door for, [registered manager] listens to everybody, and they care about the residents as well not just numbers and the business side of it.”

One staff member praised the good relationship the registered manager had with people’s relatives and said, “If ever anybody does have a concern they will always go above and beyond to solve the problem, and I do think that is good.” This meant people benefited from leadership that promoted a positive, supportive, and inclusive culture.

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

There was an up to date ‘speak up’ policy in place. The organisation had a ‘Speak Up Guardian’ available if staff didn’t feel able to speak to a manager or senior manager about a concern relating to people they cared for, other staff or themselves. Speaking up was encouraged as a positive thing which could then be investigated.

Staff we spoke with were confident that their voices were heard and action would be taken. The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up, and their voice would be heard. A staff member said, “We have speak up posters round the bungalows. We have [Speak Up Guardian] to speak to which we could raise up with. I have never felt like I needed to do that.”

The registered manager was aware of the importance of supporting staff to speak up. This instilled a culture where staff were able to raise concerns without fear of detriment. The management team had an ‘open door policy’ which meant people, staff and families could approach them at any time if they had any concerns. The registered manager said, “When we have had concerns in the past. We will then address or appraise that there and then.” This meant people were supported by a team that felt confident to raise concerns.

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 an inclusive and fair culture with equality and equity for staff.

Staff were positive about working at The Hollies and felt they were treated with respect. Staff had been supported with their professional development. Staff had received robust training and opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills.

The registered manager gave specific examples of how they had supported staff with reasonable adjustments. They described situations where they had given staff members more time and support to complete tasks such as on-line training. This has also included members of the management team sitting with some staff to assist them with online training. This meant staff felt valued and empowered to bring their whole selves to work, fostering a culture of authenticity and inclusion that positively impacted people using the service through more empathetic, personalised, and responsive care.

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 service was led by a visible and approachable management team who promoted a positive, open culture. There were clear governance systems in place including a comprehensive programme of audits to review aspects of the service which were clear and detailed. The registered manager completed internal checks including checks of people’s finances, care plan reviews, and medicine audits. Regular audits and quality checks were also completed to help identify and address issues promptly.

Staff felt supported and valued, and there was a strong focus on continuous improvement. Some of the issues we identified during our assessment had not been identified by the provider prior to our visit. The provider listened to our feedback and acted promptly to resolve issues, reducing the potential risk on people. This meant people received consistently high-quality, person-centred care from a stable and well-managed team that was committed to meeting their needs now and in the future.

The provider worked in partnership with others to help ensure people received joined-up care that met their needs. They shared information and learning with health and social care professionals and collaborated to support continuous improvement.

Staff and the management team were open and transparent, and they collaborated with all relevant external stakeholders and agencies. The service worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to achieve good outcomes for people. Staff and managers ensured that where needed, timely and appropriate referrals were made to health and social care professionals.

Professionals from external agencies told us they had no concerns about the service and all feedback from partners was positive. This showed the provider had a good working relationship with partners and stakeholders and across the board described staff and management as being approachable and responsive.

We received feedback from a medical professional who worked with the service who said, “The staff have engaged well to help me get to the know the residents and have been very welcoming, this has greatly helped with assessing some of the residents with more challenging behaviours.”

People were involved in getting to know their local shops and businesses. Staff at the service ensured that people maintained links with community services which were important to them. The registered manager told us staff supported people to maintain links in the community. They said, “[Name] likes doing things around the site like litter picking. We have suggested volunteering work. When [Name] was here, they worked in charity shops. Staff take [Name] to church. They have a friendship group in the church, and they have trips and coffee meetings.” This meant people benefited from links with the wider community, enhancing their support networks and wellbeing.

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 and effective practice.

The provider was committed to driving improvement in the service. One staff member said, “I can see an improvement in the site since [name] took over as registered manager. Staff are more positive, the environment gets looked after, and staff are happy to be at work and want to do well which passes onto the residents.” The registered manager told us, “For a long time we have been rectifying things, and in the background staff are doing fantastic stuff. “

A visiting medical professional said, “I had some concerns about access to patients and poor communication between staff which was fed back to the management time at the time. In recent years I have seen great improvements in this, and the management team have done a great job.” This meant people benefited from a service that actively learned and adapted to deliver better care.