Brook Lodge 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 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 were passionate about the people they cared for. Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the management team. Regular supervisions, training, reflective practice and an effective induction helped to ensure staff felt supported and equipped to carry out their care roles. Staff also told us they felt they worked well as a team and the wider teams such as the domestic and hospitality staff got involved and provided support.

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.

At the time of our assessment the registered manager was away, however the home was being supported by the care manager and wider management team.

The management team supporting during the assessment was responsive, open and honest throughout. They responded positively to feedback given.

Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the management team and people and their relatives told us they found management approachable and friendly. Comments included, “The management team are visible and approachable, and feel they are proactive in dealing with issues and concerns” and “100% definitely approachable.”

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

There were systems in place to support people and their relatives to feedback on their experiences of the home. This included reviews, meetings, surveys, and the complaints process.

The provider had policies and procedures in place that supported staff with speaking up such as a safeguarding and whistleblowing policy. Staff were having regular supervisions and were encouraged to attend regular meetings.

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 had a policy in place for equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff had completed training in equality and diversity. Staff told us they felt able to raise any concerns, and these would be acted on and that the communication between staff, people and management was open and positive. We observed a positive culture during our on-site assessment.

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 had systems in place to monitor the quality of the home. We saw evidence of regular audits completed which helped to identify any areas of improvement. The provider used reflective practice and lessons learned to drive improvement and identify good practice. Risk assessments and care plans for people were in place and reviewed regularly.

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 had processes in place to ensure people had access to external health professionals and we saw evidence external health professionals being involved in people’s care such as GPs, dentists and district nurses. Referrals were made when required and the provider worked collaboratively with partners such as health and social care professionals when people’s needs changed. This helped to promote positive outcomes for people using the service.

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.

There were sufficient audits in place to drive improvement. There were action plans in place to detail how improvements would be made in response to feedback and findings from audits. Feedback was welcomed from people, their relatives and staff.

The management team continuously learned lessons and implemented new practices to improve the service.