Lang Riggs 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 assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 culture of the service reflected the provider's commitment to supporting young people with mental health needs to achieve the best possible outcomes in an environment where they felt valued, listened to and empowered. The registered manager told us, “Our strategic goal is to support young people through a recovery-focused pathway that promotes emotional wellbeing, independence, and social integration. This is achieved through a structured model that balances therapeutic risk management with positive outcomes. The model recognises that progress is individual and focuses on supporting young people to move through stages of recovery from nurturing and safety, through recovery and coping, towards social integration, self-reliance, and independence.”

Leaders demonstrated a strong understanding of the challenges faced by the young people they supported. Leaders ensured the service model, values and objectives reflected the needs of young people, taking account of their individual experiences, backgrounds, aspirations and circumstances. Staff consistently applied these values in practice, resulting in a service where care was person-centred, compassionate and focused on promoting positive outcomes.

Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns, discuss challenges and contribute ideas for improvement. Leaders encouraged honest communication and demonstrated a willingness to learn from feedback, incidents and experiences. This open culture supported continuous improvement and helped maintain high standards of care and support.

Equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights were embedded throughout the service. Staff understood the importance of treating young people as individuals and respecting their identities, backgrounds, beliefs and protected characteristics. Young people were encouraged to express themselves and were supported within an environment where diversity was valued and celebrated.

Staff supported young people to engage with education, healthcare, social and community networks which were important to their development and wellbeing; this helped young people remain connected to their communities and achieve meaningful goals.

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.

Leaders at all levels embodied the values of the organisation and promoted a culture based on openness, respect, inclusion and continuous improvement. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively, while demonstrating integrity, honesty and compassion.

Staff understood the impact mental health difficulties could have on young people's wellbeing, independence and future aspirations and ensured the service remained focused on achieving positive outcomes. Decision-making was informed by a detailed understanding of the individual needs of each young person and the wider context in which care was delivered.

Staff told us they felt valued, listened to and supported in their roles. Leaders encouraged open communication and created opportunities for staff to share ideas, raise concerns and contribute to service development. This helped foster a positive working environment where staff felt able to speak openly and work collaboratively to improve outcomes for young people. A staff member told us, “Managers are very good and supportive, if they don’t know something or a young person needs support that they can’t give they will find someone that can, and they do have skills to lead effectively.”

Leaders maintained oversight of safety, quality and performance and used information from audits, feedback, incidents and quality assurance activities to inform decision-making and drive improvement; this helped ensure the service remained responsive to young people’s changing needs and focused on delivering positive outcomes.

The provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation, and leaders were committed to developing and supporting the staff group; the culture established by leaders encouraged learning, reflection and continual improvement. Staff were empowered to identify concerns, contribute ideas and learn from experiences; this created a positive and forward-looking environment where young people's needs remained the central focus of all aspects of service delivery.

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

The provider understood the importance of creating an environment where people felt able to raise concerns without fear of blame or negative consequences and where learning was encouraged. The registered manager told us, “I encourage openness by being visible, approachable and clear that concerns must be raised early. Staff can speak through supervision, team meetings, debriefs, reflective practice, direct contact with managers, on-call and whistleblowing routes. We discuss mistakes as learning opportunities while still holding people accountable. Young people are also encouraged to speak up through complaints, advocacy and trusted adults.”

Young people were encouraged to share their views, wishes and concerns through regular discussions, key-working sessions, reviews and day-to-day interactions with staff. Staff listened to young people and responded constructively to their feedback, helping them feel valued and empowered. This culture supported the development of trusting relationships and enabled concerns to be identified and addressed early.

Staff told us they felt comfortable speaking openly with managers and colleagues, understood how to escalate concerns and were confident issues would be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately; this created a culture where openness was encouraged and viewed as an essential part of maintaining high-quality care. A staff member told us, “I wouldn’t change how the service is managed. At Lang Riggs House they [managers] respond very quickly to fix the issue.”

Concerns were viewed as opportunities to improve rather than reasons to attribute blame. Staff understood their responsibilities regarding safeguarding, whistleblowing and duty of candour and knew how to raise concerns if they identified risks to young people's safety or wellbeing.

The positive speaking-up culture we observed within the home supported both staff wellbeing and the quality of care provided to young people and there was a clear commitment to ensuring everyone connected with the service felt heard and respected.

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.

Leaders were committed to promoting equality and reducing any barriers affecting staff experience and opportunities. Leaders identified any individual staff needs and ensured they had access to appropriate support to enable them to thrive in their roles. Policies, practices and leadership behaviours reflected the provider's commitment to fairness, inclusion and equal opportunities.

Staff told us they felt valued and respected. Leaders encouraged open discussion and created opportunities for staff to share their views and experiences. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of respecting individual identities, experiences and protected characteristics, which helped ensure young people received support from staff who valued inclusion and promoted equality in everyday practice.

The provider's commitment to workforce equality, diversity and inclusion had a positive impact on the experiences of young people. By fostering a respectful and inclusive culture for staff, the provider created a stable and motivated workforce, well placed to deliver compassionate, person-centred care.

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.

Governance systems in place enabled managers to identify risks, monitor performance and drive continuous improvement, ensuring young people consistently received care which met their needs and promoted positive outcomes.

Leaders demonstrated a clear understanding of their regulatory responsibilities and maintained effective oversight of the service. Roles and responsibilities were well defined, and staff understood their individual responsibilities in delivering safe person-centred care. Governance arrangements supported workforce planning, staff development, quality improvement and service resilience.

Regular audits, reviews and quality assurance activities enabled leaders to maintain oversight of key areas including safety, safeguarding, staffing, incidents, complaints and young people's experiences. Information gathered through these processes was used to evaluate performance, identify trends and make improvements where required; this helped ensure the service remained responsive to changing needs and maintained high standards of care.

Information relevant to young people's care and wellbeing was shared securely and appropriately with healthcare professionals, social workers, relatives where appropriate and other agencies when required. This supported partnership working and helped ensure coordinated responses to young people's needs.

Governance systems ensured the provider remained focused on delivering person-centred care while maintaining appropriate controls and accountability, which contributed to positive experiences and outcomes for young people.

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.

Leaders and staff worked effectively with a range of external organisations and professionals to ensure care, treatment and support were coordinated, responsive and centred around the individual needs of young people.

Staff worked closely with healthcare professionals, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, education providers, safeguarding teams and other relevant organisations. This collaborative approach helped ensure young people received consistent support and were not disadvantaged by fragmented service provision.

Professionals were involved in reviews, assessments and care planning processes where appropriate, ensuring decisions reflected a broad understanding of each young person's needs and circumstances. The provider actively shared information, knowledge and learning with partner organisations.

The provider understood the importance of having a specialist in-house mental health multi-disciplinary team in place. The integration of CPA reviews, MDT working, Recovery Star assessments and Placement Planning Meetings ensured assessments were robust, dynamic and consistently translated into positive outcomes for young people.

Young people benefited from strong connections with services and resources within their communities. Staff supported young people to access recreational opportunities and community-based activities which promoted wellbeing, social inclusion and personal development. The provider understood developing community connections was an important part of supporting young people’s recovery, independence and preparation for adulthood.

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.

Leaders recognised supporting young people effectively required the continual development of knowledge, skills and practice. Staff were encouraged to reflect on their work, learn from incidents, safeguarding concerns, feedback and outcomes, and use this learning to improve the support provided. Learning was viewed as an ongoing process and was embedded within supervision, team meetings, quality assurance processes and day-to-day practice.

The provider was committed to MDT working and learning. Learning from these professionals informed care planning, risk management and service development. Staff benefited from different professional perspectives, helping them develop a more comprehensive understanding of young people's needs and improving the quality of support provided. This MDT approach strengthened decision-making and ensured learning was shared across professional boundaries.

There was a clear focus on ensuring every young person had equitable opportunities to achieve positive outcomes and experience a good quality of life regardless of their background, circumstances or mental health needs. An up-to-date service development plan for 2026 was in place; this development plan helped ensure the service continually improved its ability to meet the complex and changing needs of young people with mental health support needs.