Sagecare (Laburnum 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

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that 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, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people.

Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and senior staff, describing them as visible, approachable, and supportive. A staff member told us, “My team leader supports me with anything and will step in to help when we are very busy. My managers are very visible in Laburnum House and very approachable.”

Staff spoke enthusiastically about their roles and demonstrated a strong commitment to the provider’s values. They told us they were proud to work at the service and understood how these values should be reflected in their day-to-day practice.

The provider gave staff access to policies, procedures, and guidance through an internal intranet accessible on mobile devices. Staff shared good practice through an internal communication platform, and their staff recognition scheme celebrated positive practice and outcomes. This helped reinforce the provider’s values.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

There were clear leadership arrangements within the service. The registered manager was supported by senior staff with responsibility for day-to-day operations, including staff performance and care reviews. They maintained oversight through regular meetings, service visits, and electronic monitoring systems. Senior staff understood their roles and responsibilities and demonstrated a good knowledge of the service.

Senior leaders had effective oversight and provided support to senior staff. They understood the service’s strengths and challenges and monitored quality through regular visits, audits, and quality assurance activities.

The provider invested in the development of senior staff through leadership, management, and role-specific training. Staff also had opportunities to complete health and social care qualifications to develop their skills and knowledge.

The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of their regulatory responsibilities, including requirements to submit statutory notifications to CQC.

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

Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns and confident the provider would address them. They said leaders listened to their views and valued their feedback. The provider created opportunities for staff to share feedback through supervision, team meetings, and questionnaires, helping to ensure concerns were identified and addressed promptly.

The provider had whistleblowing policies and procedures, which helped staff understand how to raise concerns. Staff were able to raise concerns confidentially through an externally managed reporting system, providing an independent route to speak up without fear of repercussions. Staff told us they would feel confident using these processes if needed.

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.

The provider had policies and procedures to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion. The provider recognised and responded to individual staff needs, making reasonable adjustments where required.

Staff told us they felt respected, treated fairly, and well supported in their roles. They spoke positively about teamwork and the culture within the service. A staff member said, “I think my team are lovely and truly care about every single service user.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care and support.

The provider had effective systems to manage information securely, including arrangements for the storage, handling, and access of people’s personal information and electronic care records.

An internal team developed and reviewed policies, procedures, and guidance, providing ongoing support to the service. This helped ensure practice reflected current guidance and best practice.

The provider had effective governance systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service. This included monitoring visit times and durations, completion of care tasks, and medicines administration. Care plans, daily records, and medicines documentation were regularly audited to help ensure care was delivered as planned and met people’s needs.

Senior leaders completed wider quality assurance reviews, including analysis of incidents, accidents, complaints, compliments, and safeguarding concerns. They used this information to identify trends, share learning, and drive improvement across the service and wider organisation. An in-house training team enabled additional training to be delivered promptly when required.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people.

The provider involved people in decisions about the service and sought their views when planning activities and events. The provider supported people to maintain links with the local community by helping them access shops, amenities, and community services. This helped maintain people’s social connections and community engagement.

Staff helped people raise shared concerns with the housing provider about tenancy-related matters. This helped to ensure people had a collective voice about the issues that mattered to them.

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

The provider completed a series of best practice reviews led by the Head of Quality in March 2024. These reviews focused on key areas of service delivery, including engagement, risk assessment, and care planning.

Following the reviews, the provider implemented changes to risk assessments, staff supervision, and the monitoring of incidents, accidents, and complaints. These improvements helped the provider simplify care planning and make it more accessible to staff.

The provider also used feedback from the local authority to review its processes and make further improvements. This included changing how feedback from people and staff was used to assess the quality and safety of the service. This demonstrated a positive approach to partnership working and ongoing improvement.