Humberston House 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-led 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 Outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-led care.

This service scored 93 (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 and management team 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 provider aimed to provide high quality care for people, in safe and comfortable surroundings, whilst always promoting independence and choice. During this assessment, we found they had excelled at achieving their aim.

The provider had excellent core values that were reflected throughout the service. The management team and staff shared and lived the provider’s values. Values included united, nurturing, innovative, quality, understanding and empathetic care which were introduced during the induction process, practiced daily by staff and embedded throughout the service. Staff were warm, kind, encouraging and empathetic when interacting with and supporting people. We observed a staff member empathetically encouraging a person to go for lunch following the end of an activity.

The provider placed people and their choices and wellbeing above profits. One person wished to remain at the service but were financially unable to do so. The provider and registered manager were working closely with the person, their relatives and the local authority to come to an agreement which would enable them to do so.

There was strong, effective teamwork. All staff told us of the positive work environment which fostered and maintained effective teamwork. Comments included, “There’s good teamwork” and “We’re one big family… we all have each other’s backs. It’s the same for the management, they look after you if you have a problem.”

The provider invested in staff. Staff were well supported, could access extra training and development opportunities and progressed in their careers when opportunities arose.

The provider had fabulous 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 nominated individual was a credit to the provider and led by example. They regularly visited the service and provided whatever help was needed, which on occasion had included supporting domestic staff with cleaning the service. They participated in activities and spent time engaging with people and staff in a meaningful way which promoted a friendly, homely atmosphere. During visits to the service, the nominated individual chose to stay in one of the available bedrooms rather than a hotel. They explained that if the accommodation is considered suitable for the people supported by the service, it should also be suitable for them. The practice of staying at the service overnight rather than opting for a hotel demonstrated a strong ethos of leading by example and a genuine commitment to person-led care.

The registered manager was incredibly passionate about their role and providing outstanding care for people. They had applied the provider’s shared vision and values throughout the service, which had created an outstanding, caring and inclusive culture for people and staff. The registered manager said, “Every day I feel privileged to be here. I want [people] to feel the same and that's why I do it.”

The registered manager led with integrity and used their vast knowledge and experience of care to do so. They had worked as a carer and senior carer, which meant they understood the challenges of the role and empathetically supported staff and frequently provided hands on support to lighten their workload.

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

People’s relatives provided highly positive feedback about the approachability and integrity of the registered manager. Comments included, “[Registered Manager] is very honest and easy to get on with,” “[Registered Manager] is approachable, listens and gives their time.... They like feedback” and “The new manager is very good. I’m amazingly pleased with them. They’re very hands on and their door is always open.”

All staff were confident any concerns they raised would be fully acted upon. Staff understood the whistleblowing process and were aware of the provider’s whistleblowing policy which was regularly discussed during supervision sessions.

A resident ambassador was appointed to help people share feedback about the service. They attended resident meetings and could approach the management team at any time.

The provider 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 registered manager valued diversity and championed inclusivity for all staff. The registered manager told us how they had taken part in Ramadan with a member of staff to offer support and to share their experience. Makaton, lip-reading and audio equipment was used in the service to aid communication for those with a hearing impairment. Makaton was taught to everyone to ensure all people and staff were fully included in the community.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

A comprehensive and effective audit schedule maintained excellent standards of care for people. Regular audits were completed with any issues identified and actions implemented to address any shortfalls in a timely manner. Robust systems were in place for capturing data and evidenced statutory notifications were appropriately submitted. Audits and data were analysed by the senior management team to drive improvements to the service as part of their regular reviews.

Senior management including the nominated individual regularly quality sampled the service by staying over at short notice. This helped them to assess the quality of the service provided over a 24-hour period and gave a greater understanding of what it was like for people who called the service their home.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership with others including the staff team, external health professionals and relatives, and as a result the service delivered worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The provider collaborated with the local community to ensure the service could benefit the whole community, not just the people who would live within the home. Consultations showed the community would like to access the hairdressing facilities, attend for meals and activities. As such the hairdressing area was made larger than originally planned and the central communal area was increased to facilitate community use. The cinema room had also been opened to the local community so families with children with special needs could use the space. Double rooms were also included so couples could stay together and maintain their relationships as they wanted to.

The management team worked closely with local services to ensure people received the support they needed. Healthcare professionals were positive about their working relationships with the service. Comments included, “Since the beginning of the [service] we have been working with them. There is quite a strong relationship” and “My experience of working with this care home has been positive with staff showing commitment to maintaining good standards and working collaboratively with external professionals.”

The management team forged important relationships with other services in the local community. This included nurseries and schools who had visited as part of activities and the local university to talk to students about a career in health and social care. Gift boxes were also created for a local charity. Local councillors were also regularly invited into the service which meant people could speak to their local representatives about things which mattered to them if they wanted to.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local health and care 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.

The provider and registered manager strived to continually improve the service. Accidents, incidents and near misses were reported, investigated and changes made to reduce the risk of them happening again. Staff were kept informed of lessons learned through daily meetings held by the management team.

The provider acted as a role model to other local services. They had participated in research which demonstrated the benefits of exercise in adult social care settings. During the research project, the provider had implemented regular fitness classes in their services. The findings showed improvements to people’s fitness and reduced the number of falls people experienced across the provider’s services. The provider continued to provide regular fitness sessions and people continued to benefit from the physical, mental and emotional benefits of exercise.