Heatherstones Court

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 changed to Outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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.

The provider and staff team’s commitment of a shared vision, strategy and culture were measured by the positive outcomes people experienced, and their consistently high praise of the service they received, and of the staff. One person said, "They look after me well. They got me a new flat. [Staff] are always polite, kind and generous. Every one of the staff always go out of their way to attend to my needs. Nothing is too much trouble for them, which relaxes me...thank you a million times over.” Feedback from a relative described the ‘exceptional care’ provided to their family member which significantly improved their wellbeing.

Staff spoke passionately about their role and demonstrated commitment in delivering high quality care and good outcomes for people.

The provider had exceptionally 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.

Leadership within the service was outstanding, compassionate and genuinely inclusive, driving consistently positive experiences and outcomes for both people and staff.

The registered manager and deputy manager were highly visible, responsive and led by example working alongside the staff team. They had a thorough understanding of the service and the people they supported, ensuring the organisation’s values were delivered, and risks were managed well. This resulted in a highly positive culture where people experienced excellent quality of care, and staff felt empowered, trusted and motivated.

The leadership style was compassionate, inclusive and deeply person-centred. The positive impact of this leadership approach was evident in the way staff worked, with kindness, empathy and a strong sense of shared purpose. A relative said, “[Registered manager’s] professionalism, strong leadership skills and dedication to her work have had a profoundly positive impact on [family member]. The level of service she provides is truly outstanding and we are deeply grateful for everything she has done.”

People, relatives, staff and professionals provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about the management and staff, praising their commitment to providing consistently high-quality person-centred care that drove forward positive outcomes for people. One professional said, “People are cared for by an exceptionally well-led team who have the skills and ability to uphold great care, meeting all their needs.” One person said, “The service they offer is excellent. It’s so good here I don’t want to leave.” Another person said, “It’s been a pleasure staying here. I couldn’t have gone anywhere better.”

Staff consistently described feeling supported and listened to, which contributed to a motivated and confident workforce. Staff comments included, “Since [registered manager] came every aspect of the service has changed positively. There’s now far more discussion and involvement with guests. They're fully involved and consulted in their care plans and they're in control of their care and support. The other difference with the management is they're hands on, they don't just sit in the office, they work with us and there is strong teamwork. It's a pleasure to work here.” and “Support from management is excellent. Would absolutely recommend this service to everyone, it's very special - everywhere needs a Heatherstones.”

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The provider implemented a positive and open culture where speaking up was not only promoted but actively encouraged. Staff were empowered to drive improvement, and encouraged to raise suggestions, ideas and concerns in the knowledge that these would be listened to and acted on. This was evidenced by staff feedback. Comments included, “Communication is very good. Registered manager and deputy manager are always open and available and I could go to them with anything. They welcome any suggestions, they make sure you're comfortable and have time to discuss things. They really listen”; “If I had any concerns I would feel confident raising them as I know they would listen and do something about it” and “There are more opportunities to be able to put forward ideas and suggestions and these are welcomed and listened to. We've seen these improvements have benefited the guests whose goals are being reached in shorter time frames.” Whistleblowing processes were well understood and accessible, which reinforced trust, safety and accountability across the service.

People knew what to expect, and staff understood what was expected of them. This contributed to consistently high-quality, person-centred care, with people’s needs being met in the way they wished.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff were consistently trained to a high standard, with mandatory equality and inclusion training. Management created a strong, inclusive culture where openness, respect and fairness were fully embedded in day‑to‑day practice. Staff were actively encouraged and felt confident to raise concerns or discuss equality and inclusion issues in a safe and confidential environment.

Communication and engagement were a clear strength of the service. Regular team meetings, supervision, and frequent formal and informal discussions ensured staff felt listened to, supported and involved in shaping the service.

The service demonstrates an exceptional commitment to inclusion, wellbeing and work–life balance. Staff were supported to understand and respect the cultural backgrounds, values and preferences of people and their families, ensuring care was consistently personalised and respectful. Staff health and wellbeing were prioritised, with flexible support, access to external professionals where required, and well managed returns to work.

Staff feedback was actively sought through regular quality questionnaires and acted upon promptly. Feedback highlights outstanding leadership, with staff describing managers as compassionate, invested and genuinely committed to both people outcomes and staff welfare. This inclusive, supportive approach has resulted in a motivated, confident workforce that feels valued and empowered to deliver exceptional care.

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.

The service was exceptionally well organised and managed. The registered manager had implemented highly effective, thorough and comprehensive audit systems and processes which enabled them to monitor the safety and quality of service provided. Where actions were identified, these were acted on promptly and evidence showed learning was consistently shared with the staff team to ensure improvements were implemented and maintained.

The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities around health and safety, the overseeing and reporting of safeguarding, quality assurance and risk management.

The performance of the service was subject to continuous and systematic review, with strong collaboration with key stakeholders and partner agencies supporting ongoing quality improvement and risk mitigation.

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.

Working in partnership and collaboration was intrinsically embedded at every level in the service. The management took a pro-active lead, working in partnership with other professionals and agencies, to ensure people were involved and consistently at the centre of discussions and decisions about their care and support. Strong relationships across health and social care and housing enabled the team in accessing professional advice promptly ensuring people received the right help at the right time.This embedded holistic approach to care provision consistently improved outcomes for people and hastened their rehabilitation.

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.

There was a strong culture of learning, openness and continuous improvement at service and provider level.

The registered manager was committed to continuous learning and improvement through ongoing monitoring to measure the outcomes and impact of the service provided. Systems and processes were in place to learn from events when things went wrong, and the registered manager worked in collaboration with other professionals and agencies to review the effectiveness of the reablement service.

The provider discussed initiatives they were taking to actively strengthen oversight and support arrangements for registered managers, promoting effective collaboration across all in‑house provider services. Auditing at provider level had recently increased providing more effective oversight of service performance, enabling early identification of risks, and supporting continuous improvement through consistent challenge and support.

A monthly registered managers forum chaired by the provider had recently been implemented. This provided an effective mechanism for peer support, shared learning and the dissemination of good practice, as well as a forum for discussing challenges and service developments.

Work was also underway to develop a standardised quality assurance framework across all of the provider’s in‑house services.