Housing 21 - Rowan Croft

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 the same. 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 68 (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 promoted a positive and person‑centred culture that supported good outcomes.

Staff, people and relatives told us there was a positive atmosphere at the service. One relative told us, “I reviewed quite a few care homes before she went in there and when I first walked in it was like a breath of fresh air. It has a nice vibe when I go in. The standard of accommodation is excellent.”

Whilst the manager was compassionate and inclusive; they had been in post since 2023 and had not yet registered with CQC, which is a legal requirement to ensure accountable leadership. They told us that work to complete the registration process was underway.

Staff, people, relatives and professionals spoke positively about the manager and described her as approachable, supportive and committed to the service.

The provider fostered a positive culture where everyone felt able to speak up and confident that their voice would be heard. Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns, and people and relatives also said they were able to speak openly. One relative said, “You can walk in and say what is on your mind.”

The provider worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff described Housing 21- Rowan Croft as a positive place to work. One staff member told us, “I have never felt I am at work, I have never woken up and felt I have to go to work. I love it, I love the scheme, staff and people.” Staff also reported having access to a range of wellbeing benefits, which contributed positively to their experience of working at the service.

Staff had quarterly check‑ins and meetings, which provided structured opportunities for staff to discuss concerns, reflect on practice and feel supported in their roles.

Whilst governance systems were in place, some systems required strengthening to fully support safe, high‑quality care. We identified shortfalls in records relating to medicines, people’s care and support, the management of concerns and the submission of notifications about events at the service. Accidents and incidents were monitored across different systems, and work was underway to improve integration between these systems.

We did not identify any negative impact from these shortfalls on people’s care and support. People and relatives told us that staff met people’s needs, managed medicines safely and dealt with complaints effectively. We also heard how people experienced positive outcomes at the service, with relatives describing improvements in people’s wellbeing, independence and day‑to‑day experiences.

The service worked effectively with professionals and community partners. Professionals spoke positively about the service and how staff communicated with them. An external day centre was located next to the service. A member of staff from the day centre told us,“We work closely together and share any concerns about any service users who attend the day centre and share if we feel someone would benefit from attending the day centre.”

People also benefited from access to an onsite restaurant and hairdressing salon which were run by an external providers, which some individuals attended independently while others were supported by staff. This helped maintain community links and enabled people to take part in everyday social opportunities beyond their flats. The availability of onsite facilities that were open to or connected with the wider community helped promote integration and supported people to remain part of local community life.

The provider demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Lessons learned meetings were carried out which supported a positive learning culture and enabled staff to discuss improvement priorities and strengthen consistency in practice.

Work was underway to improve integration across electronic systems used for monitoring incidents, care planning and risk assessment.