Fairlight Manor

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.

Staff told us there was a positive culture at the service. One staff member told us, “Staff (colleagues) and people, are like our families and that is important as we all spend a lot of time here.” One relative, was speaking about the staff team and told us, “There is a good atmosphere at the home.” The provider was passionate about providing positive support for people living with dementia. They said, “We try to make dementia positive, we celebrate occasions, keep it (the home) happy and positive.” Staff told us they were well supported by the provider, they felt involved in changes and the development of the service.

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.

There was a clear management structure at the home. The provider, who was also the registered manager, was supported by senior care staff who had taken on additional roles. Before staff took on additional roles the provider ensured they had the knowledge, skills, competence and confidence to do so. They provided effective support to the provider in managing the quality and safety of the service. They were committed to improving and developing the service for the benefit of people and staff. We saw the provider was supporting staff to develop their knowledge and skills and identifying areas where staff required more development. Staff told us there was an open-door policy and there was always someone they could talk to.

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

Staff understood the whistle-blowing policy. They told us they would report any concerns to the management team. They also told us how they would raise concerns outside the organisation if they were concerned appropriate action was not being taken. Staff told us they could always contact and speak with the provider even when they were not at work. Staff told us they were confident any issues raised would be addressed. The provider told us staff were able to contact managers from their sister homes or the compliance manager for guidance and support at any time.

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.

Staff received training in equality and diversity. They were encouraged to share concerns and ideas through supervisions and team meetings. Staff told us their individual needs and culture were respected, and they gave us examples of this. Staff told us they felt valued and everyone worked well together.

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 provider had good oversight of the service and risk, including the quality of people’s care and support. Supported by senior staff they completed daily, weekly and monthly quality and compliance checks. This included the auditing of the environment, medicines management, care and safety checks including environmental checks. Regular audits were completed by the provider’s compliance manager. Where any shortfalls, or areas for improvement were required then an action plan was developed and demonstrated when these had been addressed.

The provider was aware of their statutory responsibilities to notify CQC about certain changes, events and incidents that affect their service or the people who use it. These notifications were submitted appropriately.

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 provider and staff team had developed positive working relationships with services who supported people living at the home. This was demonstrated through the records we saw. Staff told us how they would contact relevant external professionals to help them meet people’s changing and ongoing needs.

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 provider had systems in place to learn from accidents, incidents, safeguarding’s, survey results, complaints or when things went wrong. Action plans were developed and showed when shortfalls had been addressed. Issues were also discussed in staff meetings and supervisions. Following a recent incident a staff meeting had been called to discuss what had happened and how to prevent it happening again. Staff were supported throughout, and the provider reiterated the importance of ‘no blame’ to help promote openness and transparency when reporting concerns. Compliments and areas of good practice were also shared with the team for encouragement.

The provider promoted learning and development for all staff. They kept up to date with all relevant changes and communicated these effectively to their team. Staff received regular training and updates. Further areas for training had been identified, and the provider was in the process of ensuring staff received these.