Abelands

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 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 understood the values and culture of the home and the support they provided and were proud to work at Abelands. Staff knew people very well and worked hard to ensure they had every opportunity to take part in activities they enjoyed, including in the wider community. People at the home spoke to us to tell us what they liked to do and staff told us, “The number 1 thing about the job is seeing the guys. Just seeing the guys being able to achieve things is great.” The registered manager told us the service had values and principals, founded in the belief that people deserve compassion and to be treated with dignity. Staff were supported by the management team to empower the people living at Abelands.
 

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.
Staff told us how supportive the management team was, and the registered manager explained how the staff team worked together. Some changes in the management structure were planned and these were being managed thoughtfully by the provider to ensure continuity of care and minimal disruption to people at the home. Families were aware of the changes and while they were apprehensive, they had faith in the leaders to continue good support for their relatives. A family member said, “I wanted to get across that from a parent’s point of view it is a positive place. My fear is that [registered manager] has been promoted, at the moment they are able to maintain continuity and staff retention. When new people come along and old people aren’t there, it can affect [people’s] moods.”
 

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.
Staff were relaxed and happy at the service, which enabled them to provide kind, calm care. Staff had good relationships with the managers, and were able to speak to them about concerns. Staff told us they could go to any member of the senior team at any time, and know they would be taken seriously. The provider used a system with QR codes for staff to report not only maintenance tasks, but concerns or other information and they could do this anonymously if they wished.

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 came from various backgrounds and cultures and worked well together. Staff were hired based on their values to ensure the continuity of safe compassionate care for people. Staff told us they worked well together as a team. There had been a recent equality and diversity survey at the service, and the registered manager discussed how this had been used as a teaching aid for people at the home. The registered manager said that they were planning to alter some questions in the survey to focus more on bias and discrimination.
 

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 supported the registered manager and the senior team, and ensured the home had the resources needed for good quality care. Audits were completed by senior staff to ensure standards remained high.
 

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 the registered manager communicated well with other healthcare professionals. They understood the necessity to work in collaboration with others to provide safe, appropriate care for people. A healthcare professional told us, “Overall, Abelands demonstrate a commitment to person-centred care, professional collaboration, and continuous improvement. They are proactive in their approach, advocate effectively for those they support, and work positively with partner agencies.”
 

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.
Other healthcare professionals and families spoke highly of the innovative ways staff worked with people to reduce stress and triggers in their lives, leading to calm safe care. The registered manager explained how the service had keyworkers for each person, so they could get to know a person well. Keyworkers were responsible for updating care plans and ensuring learning from changes to behaviours were communicated to all staff.