Outram Fields

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 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. Managers and staff demonstrated a shared commitment to delivering high quality and person-centred care to people. The service had undergone some recent changes by opening up a new floor in the building and responses to this from people, relatives and staff were mixed. A relative told us, “On some occasions, staff levels have slipped, mainly since the opening of the 3rd floor.” A person told us, “There are activities, but with the third floor opening up they are spreading themselves a little thinly.” Some people thought the third floor opening had had a positive impact. A relative told us, “Now my relative is on the third floor with different people and an outdoor area, they are blooming.” The registered manager advised that with the opening of the additional floor they were in the process of recruiting for additional staff.

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. Staff without exception told us they felt supported in their roles by the registered manager. Staff told us, “The managers door is always open, which makes a difference” and “It’s a really lovely place to work, we’re a great team, I’ve always felt supported by the manager.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff received training in how to whistle-blow and understood how to do this should they need to. A staff member told us, “If I saw a safeguarding concern I would go to my manager and I am 100% sure they would act on it, we also have our own whistle-blowing service so I could go there too.”

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. Staff told us they were happy in their roles and felt supported. Records evidenced that regular supervision took place and staff had opportunities for training and progression. Staff did not raise concerns regarding equality, diversity or inclusion during the 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. Systems and processes were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and to identify and address issues quickly. These included spot checks of staff practice and supervision, analysis of accidents and incidents and reviews of actions taken to ensure changes made were effective.

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. Feedback from health and social care professionals in regards working with the service was positive. The service also worked to build links with community services, for example local retailers were able to set up pop up shops for people at the service, and a local primary school were due to visit to complete a shared reading exercise.

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. The registered manager demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning and improvement at the service. Plans were in place to pilot additional assistive technology with the aim of improving incident analysis and falls prevention. The registered manager listened to feedback and was open to suggestions. A staff member told us, “If I come up with an idea that I think will improve the service it’s listened to and put in place, we have a list of suggestions and outcomes, I always get follow up from suggestions.”