Abbey House

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

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. At our last assessment the service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to dignity and respect, and good governance. At this assessment we found enough improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of these regulations.

This service scored 68 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered and area managers fostered a positive working culture at the service. This was supported by the providers systems and processes. The atmosphere was calm, and staff were consistently friendly and polite. One relative told us, “I don't think it is just when I am here, I have observed from outside and seen good care and kind demonstrations of affection.” Staff and leaders demonstrate a positive, compassionate, listening culture that promoted trust and understanding between them and people using the service.

People and staff were supported by capable and inclusive leaders. The Deputy, Registered and Area Managers were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities, and had worked diligently since our last inspection to make and embed the necessary improvements. Whilst we did identify a few areas requiring further improvement at this assessment, leaders were responsive to concerns when raised and remained receptive to feedback throughout our assessment process.

The management team were very involved with daily functions at the service and understood people needs well. It was clear from our observations they had developed relationships with people living at the service and staff that were built on trust and mutual respect. Their approach embodied key principles of person-centred care, promoting dignity and respect, and demonstrated best practice. They were role models to the rest of the team, promoting a positive and supportive culture. When we asked relatives what they thought about management at the service, they told us, “The [registered manager] is a nice lady,” and "[registered manager] will work on the floor, so she knows what is happening.” Staff described the manager as supportive and knowledgeable. Staff told us, “The seniors and the manager are very knowledgeable, and they can always answer any questions.” And, “[Registered Manager] is very approachable.”

The Head of Care Operations made themselves available during this assessment to support the management team. They spoke passionately about future plans for the service and the wider organisation, and remained open and transparent about things they felt still needed to be improved. The management team at the service told us they felt well supported by the provider.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. People told us they felt comfortable raising concerns. Staff felt empowered to advocate concerns on behalf of the people they supported. One staff member told us, “I feel I am able to stand up for people and make suggestions about their care.” Another staff member told us “Any concerns, I would report it and to the manager immediately. I feel I can raise any concerns or ask for help.”

The provider supported staff to feel included and treated them with equity. They promoted an inclusive and fair culture by listening to and involving staff. Staff told us they enjoyed their job and felt Abbey House was a good place to work. Staff told us they worked together as a team and supported one another, and that they felt supported by leaders at the service.

The provider had a range of quality assurance and oversight processes in place. However, these did not always identify shortfalls with infection prevention control, environmental related risks, or staff’s ability to respond to people’s immediate needs. This meant quality assurance and oversight processes were not always effective at identifying shortfalls and driving improvements. Aside from this the service was organised and well managed. Routines and structures were embedded and enabled the service to operate successfully, providing a good and inclusive service for people.

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 service worked in partnership with other agencies. These included healthcare services as well as local community resources. Records showed that staff had contacted a range of health and social care professionals. This enabled people’s health and wellbeing needs to be assessed so they received the appropriate support to meet their continued needs.

The providers systems and processes mostly enabled continuous learning, innovation and service improvement. However, further development was required to ensure all areas of learning were embedded and sustained. For example, some environmental related risks raised at our last assessment had not been fully addressed or maintained by the providers improvement procedures.

People and staff were given opportunity to actively contribute to developing safe care and treatment routines. Technology was utilised to enable effective record keeping and promote safety within the service. For example, a digital record keeping system had been introduced to enable staff to document care provided on a portable mobile device. Staff told us, “The digital handsets have helped a lot, we now have instant information, and we can record things quickly.”