Harwood Court Care Home

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 under the new 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.

Staff, people and families felt there was a positive culture at the service. Communication channels between people and families, staff and management were open and effective. The manager told us how proud they were of how the staff team promoted the service’s values and how collaboratively they all worked together.

Staff told us that they felt listened to, valued and encouraged by the registered manager. They ensured the people they supported had everything that they needed and always listened if they required any changes to their care or needs.

Professionals told us they had good working relationships with senior leadership, the registered manager and the staff team at the home.

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.

Staff felt leaders had the skills, knowledge and experience needed to lead the service effectively and support them to deliver outstanding care. We found the home to be incredibly caring, welcoming and friendly. People told us they were happy living there, and staff said they enjoyed working at the home. Staff were encouraged to share their views and ideas and felt listened to by the management team.

Systems and processes showed that leaders received appropriate training and development for their roles. Spot checks and compliance audits were used to review and monitor the quality of care. When things went wrong, leaders acted openly and honestly and followed the duty of candour where required. The manager was registered with CQC and had been employed as the registered manager when the current provider took over the home.

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

Whistleblowing and complaints procedures were in place and gave staff clear guidance about how to speak up. Information was displayed around the home for easy reference, and staff knew who to contact if they wished to raise a concern. Staff described the management team as approachable and said an open-door policy enabled them to speak with managers when needed. They were confident that any concerns would be listened to and addressed appropriately. No staff raised concerns about practice at the home during the assessment. This open culture helped staff feel heard and valued and supported ongoing improvement.

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.

All staff that we spoke with told us that discrimination was not a problem and that the manager was fair and open so if there were any issues they felt confident they would be resolved.

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.

Systems and processes were effective at monitoring and driving improvement within the service. Audits were in place, and these were effective at identifying areas for improvement and documenting actions taken. Audits and analysis were completed by the registered manager, with a thorough review by senior management. This ensured a fair and balanced approach was taken to auditing. However, there were some shortfalls found with the management of some medicine records which had not been identified prior to this assessment. The registered manager had acted immediately upon the feedback, and effective changes had been implemented.

Statutory and regulatory notifications were submitted in a timely manner. Regular reviews of records, accidents and incidents were well managed. Feedback from people, families, and staff was used by the management team to ensure the service was providing ongoing good quality care.

Staff told us they felt the service was well led and had clear and effective communication from leadership across the organisation.

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.

We saw evidence the registered manager involved people and their families in a meaningful way and demonstrated they had good links with the local community resources. The registered manager pro-actively engaged with staff and listened to their views, acting on their views to shape the service and culture.

One visiting professional told us, “The team works cohesively, communicates well, and engages fully with MDT processes. The management are receptive to clinical guidance, proactive in addressing concerns, and committed to continuous improvement. Staff demonstrate accountability, professionalism, and a clear understanding of their roles within the wider MDT.”

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 had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

Plans were in place for kitchen staff to receive specialist training to improve the presentation of pureed meals. Staff already considered people’s individual dietary needs, including diabetic diets, and followed advice and guidance from speech and language therapy referrals. This supported people’s appetites and nutritional intake. The provider also planned to introduce staff champions once suitable training had been identified and staff members’ interests and skills had been considered. This was intended to support staff development and help maintain excellent quality care for people living at the home.

The registered manager told us that they worked closely with managers from other homes within the service and there was evidence of provider wide action plans being completed monthly following analysis of accidents, incidents, falls and safeguarding events. This sharing of lessons learned throughout the provider group developed new innovative systems and promoted improvement in the service.