Liberty 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.

At our last inspection we rated this key question as requires improvement. At this inspection the rating 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 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 registered manager had a vision for a person-centred care home service which they shared with staff. Staff told us they understood how their role helped in achieving the vision. A staff member told us, “Overall, I feel that Liberty House provides a good standard of care and support to people. The service employs staff who are passionate about their jobs, which helps make it easier for staff to meet their duty of care. The safeguarding, safety and wellbeing of people are treated as a priority.”
Staff and the registered manager demonstrated a positive, compassionate, listening culture that promoted trust and understanding between them and people using the service.
Staff at all levels received training to ensure they understood equality, diversity and human rights, and so they understood the need to prioritise safe, high-quality, and compassionate care.
 

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.

The registered manager had the experience, capability, and integrity to ensure the care home service met people’s needs and that their individual risks were well managed. The deputy manager worked alongside the staff and led by example, modelling inclusive behaviours.

The registered manager was knowledgeable about issues and priorities essential to ensure the quality of services and was alert to any examples of poor culture that may affect the quality of people’s care and have a detrimental impact on staff. A staff member told us, “I would be happy for one of my own family members or relatives to live at Liberty House if they needed residential care and support. Based on my experience, I believe people are supported with care, respect and attention to their individual needs and choices.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.
The registered manager encouraged staff to raise concerns and promoted the value of doing so. For example, a staff member told us, “If I had a concern about a resident’s safety, wellbeing or the standard of care, I would raise it and report it through the appropriate procedures so that it could be addressed.”
When concerns were raised, the registered manager investigated sensitively and confidentially. Where lessons were learned, they were shared and acted on.
The deputy manager told us that when something goes wrong, people received a sincere and timely apology and were told about any actions being taken to prevent the same happening again.
 

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 for inclusion and diversity within the workforce. For example, recognising people’s protected characteristics and ensuring appropriate measures were in place to support these. Protected characteristics are a set of nine characteristics that are protected by law to prevent discrimination. For example, discrimination based on age, disability, race, religion or belief, and sexuality.
 

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 provider had governance, management and accountability arrangements in place. Staff understood their role and responsibilities, and the registered manager was effective at directing the actions, behaviours and performance of staff.
The provider had successfully embedded systems to manage the performance of the care home service, and risks to the quality of the service received by people.
The local authority told us the service appeared well managed. For example, they told us, “We do not currently have any concerns around this service. They regularly submit quarterly returns and staff training compliance data which have not highlighted any areas of concern. They do report incidents/accidents/falls/meds errors etc, although these are minimal numbers across each quarter.”
We found only one instance, in the last 12 months, where a notification about an alleged incident should have been made to the Care Quality Commission but had not been. This was discussed with the deputy manager and guidance on the types of notifications which are required to be sent to the Care Quality Commission was given. The deputy manager immediately arranged for the notification to be sent to the Care Quality Commission. They also told us they would ensure processes were in place to prevent any future late notifications to the Care Quality Commission.
The provider had organised and effective arrangements in place for the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data and care records. The provider mainly used a paper-based records system. The provider used that information to monitor and improve the quality-of-care people received.
 

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 registered manager understood the importance and benefits of working alongside other professionals. The deputy manager confirmed they collaborated with external safeguarding teams in the investigation of serious accidents or incidents. Staff also worked in partnership with external health care professionals and community health services to ensure people received effective care. For example, an external health care professional told us, “Communication is good with our department if the patient needs anything in-between appointments e.g. a repeat prescription. The staff are punctual when bringing the patient to appointments.”
 

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.
The registered manager and deputy manager had a good understanding of how to make improvement happen and were focused on improving outcomes for the people living at the care home.
The provider had developed processes to ensure that learning happened when things went wrong. For example, a staff member told us, “All staff are kind to the people living in the care home, and we are all aware of the whistle blowing policy. I feel if I ever had a reason for concern my manager would deal with it. But I also understand where else I could go if needed.”
The provider and staff had strong relationships with external professionals which helped ensure the care home service continued to keep up with new developments and approaches to care for the individuals living at Liberty House.