The Chase 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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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 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 was a clear shared direction and a positive culture at the service. The manager and deputy manager were working closely together to provide consistent leadership and ensure staff understood the service’s values and expectations. This supported a more unified approach to care and improvement following some previous management changes.

The management team showed passion and commitment to improving people’s experiences and outcomes. They had a clear understanding of the areas that required further review and ongoing work. This included strengthening the management culture following recent changes, which had led to some shortfalls in communication and timely action. Leaders were taking steps to address these issues and promote openness, learning and continuous improvement.

We received feedback from visiting healthcare professionals, 1 professional told us, “We have previously experienced challenges related to management continuity and communication of changes.” However, another healthcare professional told us of their recent experiences since the new management team had been in post. They said, “Since [the deputy manager, and manager have been in position] communication has improved significantly between The Chase and [visiting professionals]. They both are very responsive to emails and conversations with [healthcare team] and implement our requests promptly.”

We saw beneficial and motivating head of department meetings took place each day. The new manager told us this was opportunity to meet with the department leads and gain an insight into their day, what was happening and any specific focus. Such as health professional reviews or environmental work. The manager provided motivation and clear leadership during these meetings which allowed staff to be confident in their actions.

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.

During our assessment, the manager had applied to become the registered manager of the care home. The manager and deputy manager demonstrated compassionate and inclusive leadership and were visible and approachable within the service. People, their relatives and staff were complimentary about the positive changes made since they had been in post and spoke positively about the future of the service. For example, staff told us morale had improved greatly. People’s relatives told us their communication with management had improved, with many reflecting on the positive changes in the management approach.

Staff told us they received increased support and had noticed improvements in how the service was delivered. The provider was aware that previous management changes had caused some instability, particularly in communication and consistency, which had affected people, relatives and staff. Leaders and the provider were committed to ensuring improvements were embedded and sustained. Staff told us they felt confident to approach the management team and provider, including outside normal working hours when needed, which supported safe and responsive care.

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

The provider actively encouraged feedback from staff and supported an open and honest culture. Staff were able to share feedback in a way that suited them, including anonymously if they wished. This helped staff feel safe and confident to raise concerns or share ideas. One staff member told us, “If I had any concerns I could absolutely speak with managers, no doubt. I would not hesitate.”

The provider used a range of feedback methods, including face‑to‑face discussions, employee electronic applications and written feedback. Staff were also given planned opportunities to meet with senior leaders at the care home, which supported open communication and engagement.

There was a clear freedom to speak up policy in place, and information was accessible to staff. This helped staff understand how to raise concerns and reassured them they would be listened to and supported. Staff told us regular meetings and supervision sessions provided staff opportunities to share ideas and feedback.

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 provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion within the workforce. Staff told us leaders supported them in a fair and non‑discriminatory way and that their rights were respected. This helped staff feel valued and supported in their roles.

Leaders showed respect for staff’s protected characteristics, including age, disability, race, religion or belief. Staff felt they were treated with dignity and respect and were confident concerns relating to equality or discrimination would be taken seriously. This supported a positive and inclusive working culture, which helped staff provide quality care to people.

Training on equality and diversity was provided regularly to staff. This helped staff understand and uphold inclusive practices in both care delivery and team interactions. One staff member told us, “I can speak to managers if I have concerns, I do think I would be listened to.” Another staff member said, “Morale is so much better now. Everyone says good morning to each other. I love coming to work. I love my job.”

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.

Effective systems were in place to monitor the quality of care and people’s experiences. A wide range of internal audits were completed, including audits of care plans, risk assessments, medicines and mealtime experiences. Clear records and action plans showed how the provider identified areas for improvement and detailed how these would be addressed.

The provider was committed to improving outcomes for people and staff. This included investing in continuous education and development opportunities for staff, which helped to improve the quality of care being delivered. Timed environmental checks were completed to help keep people safe, and external contractors were used appropriately for specialist services when required.

The management team and nominated individual were open, transparent and responsive throughout our assessment. Learning from audits and identified knowledge needs were discussed during staff meetings to support ongoing improvement. Appropriate information was shared with people and their relatives, where required, in a timely way. This supported good governance and the sustainability of the service.

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 worked well in partnership with local health and social care professionals. We received positive feedback from those who worked with the service, including the local authority and visiting healthcare professionals. They told us the provider and staff were responsive, supportive and acted on guidance and requests in a timely way.

We also saw the provider actively sought feedback from health and social care partners about how partnership working could be further improved. This demonstrated a commitment to learning, collaboration and continuous improvement, which helped to support positive outcomes for people using the service. We saw the provider acted upon this feedback and welcomed it on an ongoing basis.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. We found managers were committed to making their service as safe as possible and had professional curiosity regarding new systems and approaches to improve people’s experience and outcomes.

The provider showed a strong commitment to learning and continuous improvement. They regularly sought feedback from health and social care partners, industry experts and external contractors. Innovation was embedded in practice, and the provider had recently implemented a new digital care planning system to increase accuracy and monitoring.

Furthermore, during our assessment, the provider introduced clinical monitoring equipment to support staff in identifying changes and deterioration to people’s health. This helped staff make timely and informed decisions about when to escalate health concerns. This approach demonstrated a willingness to innovate, learn from others and continually improve the care and support being delivered.