Bembridge 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 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 since it changed provider. 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. The service had a positive culture and followed the guidance and principles from the ‘Right support, right care, right culture’. People were supported by staff who knew them well and were at the heart of their care. Staff told us there was a positive culture, where they felt supported and able to raise any concerns. The service had clear values and staff worked in line with these.

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. We received positive feedback about leaders from people’s relatives, staff and healthcare partners. Comments from staff included, “It’s amazing, the manager is very fair, and also very kind, she will take your feelings into consideration.” Another staff member said, “I absolutely believe leadership is really good. [Manager] is such a supportive manager. Any issues, she will give you time of day. Always professional. Same with senior management. There have been a lot of changes, and we have received a lot of support.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Relatives told us they felt able to raise any concerns. One relative said, “I know I can ring a senior and they do listen”. Staff also felt there was a good listening culture. Comments from staff included, “We are encouraged to share ideas – they are open to listen. [Manager] is willing to listen and try new ideas, she won’t shut people down, she is a very good at listening.” Another staff member said, “The manager has an open door. We have team meetings, where we put ideas together, and discuss learning. We are a very open team. We listen and respect each other.” There was a policy which outlined procedures to support people and staff speaking up and raising concerns.

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 treated fairly and raised no concerns. The manager explained how they had made adjustments to staff’s working hours. The manager said, “Staff have put in requests for flexible working, we have agreed these.” The manager also explained how the team had discussed celebrating different cultures once a month and told us there were plans for this to start. Staff told us the manager supported equality, diversity and inclusion. One staff member said, “The manager listened to my personal needs and supported my work needs and work/life balance. We came up with a plan that I think will work well for me. She really listens. The first thing she’ll say is how can I support you?” Another staff member told us, “Everyone is treated fairly. When I first started, I had [a health condition] and the manager suggested dividing my annual leave so I could rest properly, that was really helpful, a good idea. She is always trying to find good and best ways to solve our problems, I’m grateful for that.”

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. The service was well managed and organized. Audits took place regularly and these were effective. The service worked in line with their policies and procedures. Staff told us the leadership was “amazing” and “really good”. Staff understood their roles and worked well together. The service worked in line with legislation and best practice guidelines.

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. Partners told us the service worked well with them. Comments included, “They communicated very well with us with regards to any [aspects of specialist care]. They would utilise any advice given, seeking further advice if it was needed. I have no concerns with regards their service and feel that they always put the service user at the forefront of care.” Another partner said, “They are aware the [people] need their annual [learning disability] checks and work with us to ensure these get booked in. They are also aware they need eye and dental checks regularly and work with other services to ensure these are done.” We observed staff liaising effectively with healthcare partners during our site visits.

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. The service engaged with other services to improve practice. Staff told us the manager was open to new ideas and told us staff worked well together. We were told of examples where the service had amended their working practices, where they had identified the need to do so.