St Anne's Nursing 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. 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 82 (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 we spoke to share a desire to ensure people felt as at home as possible in St Anne’s. Staff described wanting to provide care and an environment that allowed people to feel purposeful and included. This sentiment was shared among all staffing levels.

We observed staff who knew people well, offering person centred care. People were offered opportunities to share how they want to live their lives and St Anne’s listened to ensure people were able to help shape where they lived. For example, some people felt the lounge could be too noisy at times and a quieter space was organised. The garden area was also revamped so people could use it in a way that mattered to them.

Staff were alert to the diverse needs and wishes of people and engaged well to ensure equitable experiences.

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.

Senior staff within St Anne’s all shared a working background in a variety of social care and health roles. Staff told us they had confidence in their leadership and felt they understood the complexities and challenges of their roles. When it was needed managers would step in to assist with care giving according to their skills

There was a culture that encouraged staff progression, with managers supporting staff to develop and increase their skills where staff wanted to do this. Staff told us they had no hesitancy in approaching senior staff members. The registered manager was a member of staff who had worked at St Anne’s for some time before promotion into their current role. This helped to maintain consistency within the home.

The registered manager was well supported by the regional team who were regularly present within St Anne’s. This enabled oversight of any issues within the service, but also a familiarity with the people who lived there and guidance when needed.

Regular quality checks were carried out by both Blackberry Hill Ltd and commissioning teams. Such checks highlighted any improvements that needed to be made along with clear actions to resolve any issues. These were also followed up to ensure actions were taken and had the expected results.

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

There was a whistleblowing policy in place with clear lines of escalation for staff concerns. This policy also detailed external contacts including CQC for staff to raise concerns if they felt they wanted to.

Staff told us they were confident raising issues directly within St Anne’s and the wider Blackberry Hill Ltd leaders if needed. However, they also said this was not something they had ever had to do as most things were addressed internally without problem. Staff felt they were listened to by leaders and time was spent to understand feedback and use it to improve.

A staff member said, “I do believe that we should be able to sort out issues in-house first, but if not, then I feel confident that I would whistle blow, but have not had to go that far.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture.

The service had an inclusive recruitment and flexible working policy. Staff files and supervision records showed a diverse work force with a range of skills and backgrounds. Staff worked as an inclusive team and no concerns had been raised in relation to equality.

A staff member told us, “There are many people from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences here. I think we celebrate our differences rather than seeing them as a barrier to good relations.”

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.

At our last inspection we found the service had failed to recognise some incidents as notifiable to the CQC. At this inspection we noted a new recording system was in place to prevent this from happening. The digital system now in place allowed for easy remote viewing by senior staff who could ensure all necessary information was shared as appropriate. We saw that this had been an effective tool and all required notifications were being submitted.

We saw evidence of thorough and effective auditing across the service. This was overseen by senior staff, though all staff were clear about their roles in ensuring standards were met. This was recorded with actions noted where required and followed up.

Information was sought from appropriate bodies. For example, during a time of infection in the home local public health bodies were contacted for advice and details were shared with all relevant partners, including the local authority and CQC. Where information was shared it was done so in line with data protection responsibilities.

There was a business continuity plan in place that provided details of action to be taken in the event of an emergency which could interrupt the running of the home. This covered a variety of possible events and was clear about responsibilities and relevant contacts.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The registered manager demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous learning and service improvement through active involvement in local provider forums for care managers. This enabled the service to share best practice, learn from other professionals, and engage with local initiatives aimed at improving outcomes and experiences for people. The forums also provided a valuable network of professional support, helping to drive innovation and maintain high standards of care.

The service had developed strong and meaningful links within the local community, which significantly enhanced people’s quality of life and reduced the risk of social isolation. People benefited from partnerships with a range of organisations that enriched their experiences and promoted inclusion within the wider community. For example, a local theatre provided free performances and interactive singing sessions specifically designed for people living with dementia. These sessions took place at the theatre itself, enabling people to regularly access community venues and enjoy stimulating social experiences away from the home environment.

The service had also established a positive partnership with a local football club, which provided people with opportunities to attend matches through complimentary tickets. The football club had additionally supported the service through grant funding, which had recently been used to further improve the environment and overall experience for people living at St Anne’s. Intergenerational relationships were actively encouraged through ongoing links with local schools, where pupils regularly visited the home to spend time with people. These visits created meaningful opportunities for social interaction, companionship, and shared experiences, which people clearly valued.

The service had long been running a dementia café for the local community. In addition, the home had recently introduced a monthly veterans café, welcoming not only people living at St Anne’s but also veterans from other care homes and the local community. This initiative created a sense of belonging and connection for veterans, providing opportunities to share experiences, build friendships, and reduce social isolation within the wider community. St Anne’s had achieved accreditation as a Veteran Friendly care home through the Veteran Friendly Framework, a nationally recognised scheme aimed at ensuring the individual needs veterans may have are understood, allowing better support in care homes.

Partnership working with health and social care professionals was a particular strength of the service. External professionals consistently described relationships as collaborative, proactive, and focused on achieving positive outcomes for people. The service worked closely with GPs, district nurses, therapists, and specialist teams to ensure people received safe, coordinated, and responsive care. Professionals told us leaders were open to feedback, responsive during quality assurance visits, and proactive in implementing recommendations to continually improve the service and outcomes for people.

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.

Placements were offered to student nurses at St Anne’s. This was beneficial in terms of staffing numbers but also allowed for staff and students to learn from one another. This also generated additional income for managers to invest in improvements to the home. The oversight of the funding university added additional levels of scrutiny and therefore safety.

Dietician research students also attend the home. This was particularly useful for learning new and innovative ways to promote hydration and nutrition for people.

In response to research St Anne’s had changed the main mealtimes in the home from lunchtime to the evening. The service reported this had led to people eating more and maintaining weight better as a result. People were also reported to sleep better following this change.

The service had introduced various activities that supported people both mentally and physically. These included interactive digital games, games to promote hydration and there were plans to introduce a virtual reality train carriage which would enable people to see various views of the wider world.

The registered manager had successfully sought a grant from the local authority as part of a council climate change initiative. This was spent improving the garden with plants that improved air quality. Plants were also bought for inside the home with similar benefits to the air.

St Anne’s had achieved Green Mark accreditation. This was a scheme to encourage environmental sustainability in care homes. Steps taken to achieve this and to progress to the next level of accreditation not only had wider climate implications but also helped to lower expenditure on power and other costs which could then be used to the benefit of people who lived at St Anne’s.