Appleby

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 newly registered 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 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.

The provider’s representative told us they were proud of the progress made at the home. They explained that, as a family-run company, their aim was to ensure people received the right care and were happy. They described the improvements which had been made and said that the home had, “Come on leaps and bounds” in terms of décor and staffing. They highlighted that the home now had their own team of nurses, led by an experienced registered manager and clinical lead. This feedback was supported by comments made by people, relatives, staff and professionals, who told us they had seen positive changes since the provider took over the home in 2024.

The provider had inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, and support and embodied the culture and values of their organisation. The registered manager and provider demonstrated compassion and inclusivity, which staff, people and relatives valued. One person told us, “I like [name of registered manager] she makes me feel part of the fabric, and they involve me in things.” The provider’s representative visited weekly, and staff appreciated the opportunity to speak to them directly and provide feedback during these visits.

A regional manager had been recruited and commenced their role following our assessment which helped to further strengthen leadership capacity.

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

Staff told us they felt able to speak up and action would be taken as a result. One staff member told us, “There is a good culture of reporting, staff are encouraged to report any concerns.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce and worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff meetings, supervision sessions, appraisals and training were carried out to promote equality, diversity and inclusion across the service. In addition, ‘huddle’ meetings took place Tuesday to Friday which provided opportunities for staff to share information, reflect on practice and discuss any immediate issues.

Whilst systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the home, we identified areas where oversight needed to be improved, such as verifying staff professional registration and role suitability. The provider acknowledged this oversight and took prompt action to strengthen their governance and checking procedures.

We also found some other areas that required further development. Records did not always clearly demonstrate robust oversight of medicines, and the recent introduction of the electronic care planning system meant that some information was still being updated to fully reflect people’s needs and the activities they had been involved in to meet their social needs.

The provider’s representative carried out weekly visits to the home, giving staff regular opportunities to share feedback and raise any concerns. They also planned to introduce a structured proforma to strengthen the recording and follow‑up of these visits.

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.

Staff liaised effectively with health and social care professionals to share information and implement advice which supported joined-up care. Professionals gave positive feedback about the home. They stated that staff knew people well, made timely referrals when people’s needs changed, implemented changes outlined in care plans and communicated effectively to support continuity of care.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system.

Lessons learned from safeguarding concerns, complaints and accidents and incidents were shared with staff during meetings and supervision sessions to promote continuous improvement and embed best practice.

The provider also identified lessons learned during our assessment. For example, they told us they had strengthened their qualification verification processes.