Longacre Care Home Limited

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 unchanged. 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 79 (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 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 needs of people in their communities.

The registered manager has been in post for many years and offered stable, visible and experienced leadership with a strong understanding of the people using the service, their families and the staff team. They promoted an open and honest culture and were respected by staff, people and external healthcare professionals. Staff positively expressed that there was good teamwork with sentiments that they felt part of a family.

A staff member told us,“[Name]always thanks her staff.We’ve just had a ‘flu outbreak and she went out and bought snacks, crisps and chocolate to thank staff. After Covid we were all taken out for a meal, little things like that make a difference.”

Staff told us the manager supported them in their roles and was approachable, fair and responsive to their needs. For example, the manager actively steps in during busy times, supporting staff with medication administration and providing real time coaching to the team. This hands-on supportive way strengthened staff confidence and competence. This ensured care was safe, and consistent even during the busy periods. Staff retention was strong, providing stability and continuity within the service which benefitted people using the service with consistent and positive outcomes.

We received balanced feedback about the leadership. People told us, “The matron is lovely. She’ll always come and speak to you”. Another person told us, “Yes, she tells you what’s what. She doesn’t sugar coat anything.”

Staff reflected the shared values in their day-to-day practice. At our visit the registered manager consistently acknowledged staff and gave them credit for the compassionate care delivered each day, stating “I'm extremely proud of the team.”

The provider had exceptionally inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which care, treatment and support were delivered and consistently demonstrated the culture and values of the organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively and always acted with integrity, openness and honesty. This meant a strong values driven culture was in place, creating trust, accountability and a high-quality care that benefited both staff and people using the service.

 With their clinical experience the leadership team provided hands on support and oversight, supporting staff with decision making and ensuring access to professional guidance when needed. This strengthened clinical practice and helped ensure safe and effective care for people using the service.

The provider`s inclusive and committed leadership had fostered strong relationships with primary care services, enabling responsive and coordinated support for people. This meant people using the service had timely access to healthcare and benefited from positive outcomes.

 The registered manager was well respected by external healthcare professionals in supporting people using the service and had built a reputation for running the service fairly and transparently. A visiting healthcare professional told us, “It has been my pleasure to visit Long Acre for the last 4 years. I have always found it to be a very efficiently run home - and care provided is to an excellent standard. [name], runs a very tight ship and has a loyal and committed workforce and the support and guidance that [name]gives them is reflective in their work.”

People using the service and their relatives spoke positively about the leadership. One person told us, “It's a nice place and the matron runs it well”, while a relative said, “Oh yes, the manager is lovely, the owner is lovely, he's very hands on. When we brought her here, he said now you go home and don't worry, we'll look after her.”

 Staff described the leadership as compassionate often acknowledging their hard work with gestures of appreciation which helped staff feel valued, motivated and supported.

The provider fostered a positive culture where staff felt able to speak up and have their voices heard. Systems and processes were in place to support staff in raising concerns, both openly or anonymously and staff were signposted to external avenues if needed. This meant staff had access to a range of options to raise concerns safely.

Staff understood how and when to raise concerns without fear of repercussions. Opportunities to raise concerns with the leadership team were available daily and staff reported feeling reassured that any issues would be appropriately addressed.

People using the service were also confident in the providers approach and were involved in giving feedback.

A person told us, “They listen and say they they’ll get round to it. They sort it out there and then”

The provider valued diversity within their workforce and actively promoted an inclusive and fair culture, working to improve equality and equity for all staff. A diverse team was recruited with leaders recognising and embracing the strengths and benefits this brought to the service and the people. This meant staff from different backgrounds felt welcomed and respected in their roles. A staff member told us, “Teamwork is good. Freely we can work here” Staff, including those recruited from overseas, had equal access to opportunities such as training, development and career progression. The culture promoted inclusion, ensuring all staff could pursue the same career pathways and achieve their professional goals. For example, internationally recruited nurses were supported to work towards their Nursing and Midwifery Council registration while employed by the provider. This approach resulted in a more skilled, motivated and representative workforce, which enhanced staff satisfaction and contributed to improved outcomes and culturally responsive care for people using the service.

The provider had clear roles, responsibilities and systems of accountability to support good governance and the delivery of safe, sustainable care. They used information about risk, performance and outcomes to monitor the service and shared this appropriately when needed. This meant the provider had effective oversight and could respond to issues in a timely way.

The provider`s governance systems, including policies supported safe systems, pathways and transitions and were aligned with CQC quality statements. A service improvement plan was in place which reviewed all aspects of the service including, care delivery, the environment and feedback from people and staff. This meant the provider had a structured approach to identifying areas of development and driving continuous improvement. Risk assessments were regularly reviewed and opportunities for improvement were identified. Managers and nursing staff completed audits relevant to their roles and the provider also used external auditor to strengthen oversight. This meant there were multiple systems in place to identify risks, maintain standards and support continuous learning.

The provider promoted partnerships and community collaboration by working closely with healthcare professionals and the local GP practice. Staff maintained regular GP contact, including monthly ward rounds and on-call system, and collaborated with pharmacies and various NHS professionals to ensure timely reviews to maintain and improve people`s health outcomes.

The provider promoted a positive culture of continuous learning, improvement and innovation. Staff regularly reflected on their practise through daily handovers, feedback and sharing good practice supporting ongoing development and the delivery of safe, effective and personalised care. The manager was actively engaged in local and provider forums, working collaboratively with peers to share learning and drive improvement. Their clinical background further supported continuous review of practice, professional development and a commitment to maintaining high standards of evidence-based care.