Houndswood House 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.

At the last inspection, we rated this key question as requires improvement. At this inspection this key question has improved to 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 71 (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 positive about how the team supported people. A staff member said, “I like it here, I would like to stay if it stayed open, we have provisions to support people well.”

The provider had a service action plan in place. This managed areas identified through quality checks, inspections and incidents as needing improvement.

Feedback from people and their relatives was obtained through meetings and care plan reviews. In addition, people and relatives told us the registered manager was supportive, available and approachable. A relative said, “I have been kept well updated by email and phone about my [Person’s] health and situation over the past year and updates to the service have been given in various relative’s meetings. Sometimes these were a little short notice but an option to attend by (video call) was provided that helped.”

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.

People and relatives were positive about the service. A person said, “I have loved it here.” A relative said, “I feel like the manager is approachable if necessary but most of my communication has been with the deputy manager and assistant manager. Any concerns regarding my [person’s] care have been followed up and addressed.”

Staff were positive about the culture and approach of the service. A staff member said, “I like working here, if it can turn around, I would want to stay.” Another staff member said, “We are lucky to have the managers we have.”

There were systems in place to help ensure care was personalised and people had a positive experience. These included wellbeing checks for people.

The management team met with people when something had gone wrong to apologise and explain how they would address it.

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

Staff were positive about how the management team engaged with and involved them. A staff member said, “If I am worried, I can go to them.”

Staff told us the management team were visible and approachable.

There were regular staff meetings taking place which included flash meetings to keep staff up to date on key issues.

Relatives told us they had regular contact with staff and the management team during visits to the home and were invited to care plan reviews where appropriate. This helped to ensure effective communication and sharing of feedback.

We reviewed a log of compliments and complaints. There records captured all feedback and noted how it would be addressed if there was an issue.

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 felt supported and respected by the management team. A staff member said, “They are very supportive.”

Staff employed at the service reflected different backgrounds, ages, genders and ethnicity which was a benefit for the people they supported. There had recently been a day celebrating cultural diversity and people had the opportunity to learn about different cultures and ask questions.

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 in most cases. The systems needed to be used more robustly to ensure acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

At our last inspection we identified there were areas that needed to be more robust in relation to governance system. At this inspection there were governance systems used effectively to help identify and address any issues. These systems had been developed and implemented to cover key areas such as care plans, health and safety, infection control, falls and medicines. Where issues were found, a plan was implemented and actions were developed to resolve them. However, some work was ongoing to sustain the improvements and as the number of people living in the home had significantly reduced, we were unable to assess the effectiveness for overseeing the home at its full capacity or higher occupancy.

We found the management team responded to any complaints, feedback and requests for information or changes.

Staff were positive about the management and running of the service.

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.

People and relatives told us they were supported to access health and social care professionals when needed.

The management team worked with agencies outside of the organisation. This included health and social care agencies and a care providers association to access training and updates.

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.

Staff told us they were kept informed and were working with the management to drive improvements. They said updates were shared and training provided to drive improvements and innovation.

The provider had developed systems to help identify any learning and improvement areas. This included software systems which helped provide a better overview of the care provided. The aim also to reduce paperwork for staff which gave more time to spend with people. The deputy manager told us, “(New systems) have delivered measurable improvements in safety, effectiveness, responsiveness, caring, and leadership at Houndswood House Care Home. The integration of eMAR (digital medication records), GP Connect, documentation, and real time monitoring has modernised the home’s care delivery and strengthened regulatory compliance.”

The management team told us about the ways they were always trying to improve people’s experience. The deputy manager told us, “We have upskilled staff in basic care delivery, highlighting dignity in their practice, safe care delivery and promoting independence of our residents were our primary aim following the CQC inspection in 2025. We have been using (a care providers association) resources for this, thus have staff Champions in Nutrition and Hydration, End of Life Care, IPC, MCA, Dementia and the process of care planning.”