Linden Lodge Nursing 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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The home had a deeply embedded, positive culture where people were respected, their individuality celebrated, and staff were fully supported to deliver inclusive, high‑quality care. People consistently described the home as warm, friendly and welcoming. One person told us, “They have supported me in many ways and [staff] are always there for me.” A further person said, “It’s a great atmosphere here.”

Relatives also spoke highly of the culture, describing staff as approachable and kind. One relative said, “It is very welcoming here. If we had this time over again, we would bring [person’s name] here again. We would recommend it to others.”

Staff were proud of the home’s ethos and demonstrated a shared commitment to treating people with dignity and respect. One staff member said, “I see how the residents are treated, I always say, the minute you walk through that front door, this is their house and we treat them and their house with respect." Another highlighted the importance of meaningful interactions, explaining every contact with a person was an opportunity to provide care, attention and connection.

Staff felt valued and empowered because their ideas were listened to and acted upon. They described managers who encouraged innovation and supported them to make improvements. One staff member told us, “They listen to me and my suggestions, and they give me free range for my ideas, and I get total support from the management for implementing new ideas." Another said they were given autonomy to implement new ideas to benefit people, with full backing from management.

The provider was also responsive to staff requests for resources. Staff told us when equipment or tools were needed to enhance care, these were provided promptly.

This strong, shared culture, rooted in respect, collaboration and continuous improvement made a material difference to people’s lives and ensured people experienced consistently positive, person‑centred 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.

Leadership at the home demonstrated an exceptional understanding of people’s needs and the wider context of care, showing a depth of insight which shaped the decisions they made. Senior staff used this understanding proactively and purposefully, ensuring people’s well‑being was consistently enhanced and so relatives, friends and staff felt fully supported. This created and fostered an approach where learning, inclusion and compassion were embedded in everyday practice.

For example, relatives spoke enthusiastically about the leadership’s commitment to meaningful involvement. They told us staff had organised dementia awareness courses which relatives could attend. One relative said, “We are so glad we chose this home. We attended the dementia training and we learned so much. [Staff] will put on more training about the lived dementia experience soon.” This reflected a leadership team which not only identified opportunities to support people and relatives, but actively shared their skills and knowledge with others, to benefit people living at the home. This strengthened people’s relationships, deepened understanding of dementia and ensured relatives feel valued, informed and included.

A person’s representative described the leadership as open, honest and unwaveringly focused on people’s rights, even during challenging and, “Difficult conversations.” They added, “I marvelled at the integrity [registered manager] kept under the circumstances. They were professional and courteous. [Registered manager] was proactive and sensitive and composed, their experience showed and they were calm when under fire.” This demonstrated a leadership team which used their skills effectively and had a steadfast commitment to doing what is right for the people they provided care to.

Staff consistently described the leadership team as approachable, constructive and inclusive, emphasising their voices mattered. One staff member told us, "I like them, they are here to do a job, and I am here to do a job, and we have to work hand in hand. I feel like [registered manager] has stepped up and done a brilliant job. I have been under [the other registered manger’s] management for 8 years; I get on with them all. There have never really been issues or anything like that.” They added, “If I have concerns, I will happily go in and air them."

Another staff member described how unified the whole staff team was and told us how well the leadership team supported staff. They said managers were, “Absolutely outstanding, they stumble and fall together with us, if anybody has any issues you can go in the office and talk about absolutely anything. Management drop everything to make sure the team is okay on the floor. The management are very organised."

A further staff member highlighted how small, thoughtful gestures from the leadership team made them feel valued and included. They told us, “At Christmas, when you come in, Linden Lodge has food for the [People] but also for the staff, and we have Secret Santa." These moments of kindness show a leadership team which understood the importance of connection, appreciation and creating a warm, uplifting environment for everyone.

Staff demonstrated a deeply positive and person‑centred culture, shaped by clear values and a shared commitment to helping people to live well. A registered manager told us, “We want [people] to have quality of life, choices and networks of support as the basis for their care. For them to be as independent as possible. It’s about people being at the heart of what we do.” The culture within the home clearly reflected this vision. Staff worked in ways which promoted independence, respected people’s choices and strengthened supportive relationships. This consistent, values‑led approach created an environment where people were encouraged to thrive and where high‑quality, compassionate care was the norm.

A health and social care professional told us the registered managers were proactive, well‑informed and contributed openly within partnership networks. They described the managers as inclusive leaders who share learning, explored challenges with others and worked collaboratively to find solutions. They added, “They ask questions and are professionally curious.”

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

Staff told us they felt confident to speak up and report any issues or poor practice in the home and leaders responded promptly and constructively when concerns were raised. One staff member said, “They (managers) listen to me if I have any concerns about anything that I see staff do.” Another staff member told us they had spoken up in the past and felt fully supported, adding, “I do feel reassured when I have and that is how you want to feel."

Staff described open communication across the home and trust in the leadership team. One staff member commented, “When you have an issue and take it to the managers, they solve it straightaway.” Another reflected their confidence in raising concerns, saying, “If I feel something is not okay, I will just say it. I always get a response.”

This open culture ensured staff felt empowered to raise issues, knowing they would be listened to, and action would be taken to maintain high standards of care.

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.

The service promoted a strong, inclusive culture where staff felt respected, valued and supported as individuals. When we asked a staff member whether the provider promoted an inclusive approach, they told us, “I don’t think it even comes into question which says it all really.”

Staff described a team where different cultures, beliefs and traditions were recognised and celebrated. One staff member explained how colleagues supported each other to observe important occasions, saying, “That is the beautiful thing about our team, because it is very diverse. [Staff member’s name] doesn’t have Christmas, so they are very understanding about Christmas for us. I was meant to work and [Name of staff member] got in touch and asked if I wanted to swop. It was so lovely and unexpected.” Staff from other faiths shared similar examples of being supported to take time off for cultural or religious festivals.

Staff told us they would feel confident to challenge any discrimination within the service, reflecting a culture where fairness and respect were embedded.

The provider also made reasonable adjustments to ensure staff’s protected characteristics were fully supported. This included flexible duties and phased returns after illness. One staff member said, “It is a fantastic company to work for, they look after their staff. [Senior staff] have adjusted duties so many times to support my health. They catch you if you fall.”

This inclusive approach ensured staff felt valued and able to contribute fully, which in turn supported a positive, person‑centred culture for people living in the home.

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

Expectations of staff and their roles were underpinned by regular meetings, observation of staff practice and supervision. For example, in relation to the quality of end of life care, response time when people requested support, and the culture of the home.

Staff with additional responsibilities were given protected time to complete their duties effectively. A senior member of staff told us, “We get office days to make sure our care plans are up to date. We also have monthly jobs we have to maintain and keep up to date with."

Most governance systems were working well to provide assurance about the quality of care and to identify clinical risks to people. Where actions were identified, action was taken to improve care provided in a timely way. These included in relation to thorough checks undertaken by the registered managers and through the provider’s audits. These focused on ensuring people’s individual risks, safeguarding and nutritional needs, wishes and preferences were met and staff responded to them in a timely way. These checks helped to ensured people received safe, person-centred care.

However, whilst we found no direct harm to people, governance systems relating to limited areas of premises management and medicines would benefit from further strengthening, to enhance people’s safety further. The provider and registered managers took immediate and robust action to address, or begin addressing, these development areas. Their response demonstrated openness, accountability and a strong commitment to maintaining safe, high‑quality care.

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 had a strong culture of partnership working, with relatives, representatives and friends telling us they were treated as active partners in people’s care. They felt encouraged to contribute to decisions and to share suggestions about the running of the home. Health and social care professionals echoed this, describing how registered managers had established effective systems to ensure they were appropriately involved in decisions about care. One person’s representative told us, “[Registered manager’s] view was we are here to support you. A range of [other health and social care professionals] met with us and staff. This was excellent, and we felt supported.”

Health and social care professionals told us staff worked collaboratively with them, were committed to improving people’s experiences, and had strong processes in place for effective information sharing. This ensured people received coordinated, well‑informed care.

Registered managers had also developed effective and positive networks with key local community organisations. One representative said this had provided naturally occurring networks which had supported a person they represented at crucial stages throughout their care journey.

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.

There was a strong commitment to continuous learning and improvement across the home. Leadership consistently sought opportunities to enhance people’s experiences, drawing on learning from complaints, informal feedback from people and relatives, and insights from staff. They also used learning from external sources to ensure practice aligned with recognised best‑practice standards, including work linked to external quality assurance awards. In addition, leaders actively shared learning across the provider’s other homes and used findings from internal audits to drive ongoing improvement.

Staff were actively involved in understanding how to make positive changes. One staff member said, “I feel I do have a good relationship with the management team and with my staff where we can openly discuss what we can do to stop [person’s name] falling out of bed." Another staff member described the supportive culture when mistakes occurred, which encouraged them to be open and learn. They told us, “I do feel supported, so if I do something wrong, I always go and say it."

Staff were also encouraged to share their own learning, to support newer colleagues to improve their care practice, One staff member told us, “I pass on my knowledge to new staff and say ‘We do this because of this’, and give them reasons for why we do what we do."