Green Willow 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 Good. At this assessment the rating has changed to Outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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 registered manager said, “This is their home and we have to work around them. We make life as good as we can for staff and residents, for example staff often bring their children in and everyone likes this.” The provider actively encouraged staff members to bring their children to inset days as this promoted their family ethos and brought joy to residents.

Relatives told us, “My family and I are truly happy with the care that [person] receives at the home. Each and every member of staff are wonderful and treat [person] with great patience and respect. Green Willow has a real sense that it is a family, and our [person] is an important person in it.” Another said, “The leadership team organise a wide variety of events and activities which residents and their families can participate in. The wellbeing team have put together a great programme of activities in recent months”. A professional working with the service echoed this and said, “The residents always seem well cared for and the staff are prompt in seeking help when they have a concern over the residents. There are always activities going on at the home and the residents appear to be very happy at the home. The staff keep good records, and I have not had any concerns with the home in 2.5years of visiting. The staff and management are friendly and professional.”

A staff member said, “Being a part of this family unit is honestly an honour. I wouldn’t work anywhere else.” Another said, “Green Willow is more than just a workplace; it truly feels like a home from home. We are one big family, and every single member of staff gives their all each day to make a real difference in the lives of the people we care for.” The provider guaranteed a culture that was person centred, inclusive and empowering. People were seen as individuals with full lives and experiences and were encouraged to promote independence. Staff and leaders embodied the provider’s mission statement; aiming to create a safe and supportive atmosphere where residents can grow and develop while enjoying life to the fullest. Which was evident during our observations.

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 service was led by a management team who were extremely passionate and motivated to ensure people to lived happy and fulfilled lives. All people, relatives, professionals and staff gave consistently high feedback about the registered manager’s honesty, integrity, and passion to ensure people received exceptional care. A relative told us, “The approachability and professionalism of the management team make the environment feel very personal and welcoming. This is clearly continued with the entire team of staff, whatever their role. Any questions we have as a family are responded to very efficiently and quickly. Should Green Willow have any concerns or need to notify us of anything, again this is done very promptly.” A health professional echoed this and told us, “This was the first year that reviews were completed with [registered manager], and I was very impressed with her approach; Her care, knowledge, and efficiency amongst many other things. She was very aware of each resident’s clinical situation and was clearly very involved in their care. In previous years, I have also found the other senior staff to be equally knowledgeable about each individual resident and their specific needs.” This demonstrated management consistently excelled in their capabilities and compassion to ensure everyone they worked with had positive experiences.

Leaders modelled inclusive behaviours of being open, honest and approachable.All staff spoke very highly of management. Staff told us, “I can go to [registered manager] with anything. She always listens, is very supportive and she helps us out a lot. She has all the answers” and “I’m incredibly grateful to have managers who support me so consistently and genuinely. It makes a huge difference every day and motivates me to do my best and keep growing.” The registered manager said, “We are all very floor based so we can see the care that is being delivered. Staff can approach me with anything as we have an open-door policy.” The registered manager also added, “Duty of Candor with being honest about myself making mistakes as well - that openness, even the small things. I'd rather staff tell me the small problems, so they do not grow to become bigger. It is a good team, and they can lean on each other.” Leaders demonstrated an exceptional culture which fostered a positive and inclusive workplace. The positive workplace that management created, ensured consistency of care, professionalism and individuality resulting in people residing in a calm and loving environment.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff had information about the whistleblowing and safeguarding procedures.

The provider had mechanisms in place for gathering feedback from people, relatives and staff. They told us they were confident in raising ideas which were listened to, discussed and taken up. Records evidenced how feedback was used to drive improvements at the service. Regular team and resident meetings were held where people had the opportunity to voice ideas of improvement. The provider had a whistleblowing policy and procedures which was understood by staff. A staff member said, “I know how to raise any concerns. I would feel comfortable doing that because we need to keep people safe.”

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

The service had strong systems in place to support staff with physical or mental health conditions. The registered manager told us how they consistently supported staff with any conditions. For example, for staff with physical conditions, they were supported with regular manual handling training, personalised risk assessments, and reasonable adjustments where required. With pregnancy, risk assessments were put in place to protect both the expectant mother and the unborn child and regular check-in meetings were held throughout their pregnancy to ensure they felt supported and that any necessary adjustments to their duties could be made.

The provider had a highly positive culture which normalised good wellbeing. The registered manager said, “We are mindful of the staff’s mental health concerns and, if an employee takes sick leave due to mental health reasons, we ensure that a thorough return-to-work meeting is completed. This allows us to identify any support or reasonable adjustments that may help them return to work safely and comfortably.” A staff member said, “When my mental health was at its worst, I was supported to have time off to sort my health and personal life out. That allowed me to focus on work. More recently, I have had an adjustment in my role. This has removed some pressure and is allowing me to focus on the area of work that I love, care. I am now able to have more time on the floor providing hands-on care and working and mentoring my colleagues.”

Leaders showed exceptional awareness of the link between staff wellbeing and the quality of care. They consistently ensured staff had a good work life balance. The registered manager told us, “We support staff with childcare needs by allowing their children to come into work on inset days where appropriate, with all risks carefully assessed. We also provide flexibility in working hours to help reduce the need for additional childcare costs or the use of annual leave. For example, by staggering shifts within the housekeeping department.” This was echoed by a staff member who said, “I love working for Green Willow as its very flexible and accommodating with being a working mum. It’s fantastic. I can do my training in the evenings when my husband is home which has never been available to me in other jobs. I love that I am invited to bring my son to events at the home. The last one I went to was a petting zoo which was amazing seeing my son’s face and the residents’ faces too.”

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 carried out various checks to monitor and improve all aspects of the care people received. For example, auditing stock of medical equipment, medicines and care plans. Staff were regularly involved in discussions about the providers action plans. This demonstrated good governance.

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

Staff and leaders worked exceptionally well with local groups to ensure people using the service were part of their community. The provider built excellent relationships with organisations that helped to improve people’s experiences and benefit the community, such as the local church. To enhance the quality-of-care people received, the service had strong links to external professionals, such as district nurses and community secondary care services. The service had a strong ethos of engaging in the community and hosted a jazz festival each year to raise money for people’s chosen charity. This had a great impact on people’s wellbeing and a feeling of togetherness preparing and hosting the festival. This year, people had chosen a charity which supported a staff member through a difficult time which emphasised the family feel to the home.

The service also sponsored a flower festival at the local church and took people to see the flower displays and organised a trip for people to see a local church group’s band play which people told us they thoroughly enjoyed. The home also had their own choir called ‘The Green Willow Warblers’ which was well attended. The wellbeing team said, “We wanted to create a sense of belonging, facilitate the forming of connections and friendships to combat loneliness and improve self-esteem and create links to the wider community. We tried to facilitate this by creating “chat and cuppa sessions” where residents can come together and talk. This is supported by us, to take the pressure off, allowing us to introduce likeminded people and stimulate topics of conversation. This has resulted in more conversations between residents and the finding of common ground. Friendships are now building and residents are taking an interest in each other's lives. They have become more self-sufficient socially so are not ‘waiting’ for an activity to happen or a conversation with the team.” The wellbeing team also added, “We have links to the local primary school with children coming in to sing at Christmas time, they bought in homemade Christmas cards to give to residents which they cherished. We also encourage the team to bring in their children especially when we have animals to visit or Christmas activities, residents love this connection.” The attentiveness to engage residents within the community promoted a healthy social life and increased their wellbeing and harmony within the home.

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.

Leaders actively investigated incidents, accidents and complaints. These were used in service improvement plans which were regularly reviewed. Leaders ensured refresher training was put in place when learning was required. A staff member said, “[Leaders] have been especially supportive of me personally, encouraging me to take on more responsibility within care planning. This has really helped build my confidence. We have regular meetings where we can openly share what’s working well and what could be improved, and it’s clear that everything we say is genuinely considered and acted upon to make our working days as positive and comfortable as possible.”