Longlast

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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed 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 82 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. Clear values centred on choice, independence, dignity and human rights were embedded throughout the service and reflected in the support people received. The registered manager fostered a strong culture of learning, reflection and continuous improvement, empowering staff to challenge restrictive practices and develop creative, person-centred approaches that improved outcomes for people. Staff were supported to make professional challenge using the provider’s ‘Challenge Charter’, which empowered them to review their own practices and advocate for others based on the company’s values.

Staff were highly motivated and spoke with genuine pride about working at the service. Feedback consistently demonstrated a culture where staff felt valued, respected and able to contribute. One staff member said, "It's a positive culture and a happy place to work. I would recommend Longlast to anyone." Another told us, "I feel valued every time I am at work. I am able to express thoughts, views, ideas and concerns freely without hesitation."

People were meaningfully involved in shaping their home and the support they received. Monthly residents' meetings, keyworker reviews and accessible decision-making tools ensured people's voices were heard and acted upon. People influenced decisions about activities and day-to-day life within the home, while the registered manager maintained effective oversight of goals, outcomes and quality of life to ensure support remained responsive to people's changing needs and aspirations.

The positive culture created by leaders and staff was consistently recognised by external professionals. One professional described that they, “Found the staff to be amazing" and praised the service's person-centred approach and commitment to improving people's lives. Another said the manager was, "Transparent and forthcoming with any information and communicates well."

There had been a change of provider since the last inspection, which had initially caused some anxiety among relatives and staff. However, the registered manager, staff and relatives spoke positively about the excellent support now being provided by the organisation. For example, one relative explained they had been concerned staffing levels might reduce following the change in provider, but felt the service continued to be well staffed. They told us, “Staff have always impressed me, they are always overstaffed.”

Relatives, staff and professionals told us they would highly rate the service or recommend it to others, for example a relative said, “I would give them 10 out of 10. There is nothing they could do to make it better."

Leaders demonstrated exceptional compassion, professionalism and commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred care. The registered manager was highly visible within the service, knew people, staff and families well, and championed inclusion, advocacy and continuous improvement. They actively sought opportunities to develop their own knowledge through forums, networks, training and sharing best practice, ensuring people remained at the heart of decision making.

Relatives praised the management of the home, one said, “The registered manager is easy to contact and is excellent.” Staff consistently described leaders as inspirational, approachable and supportive. One staff member said, “She's the best manager, I've been in care years and wish all my managers have been like her. She has an open door and will stop whatever she is doing to help you.” Another told us, “The manager is very approachable; I don't wait for meetings I just tell them if there is something I want to discuss.” Staff felt empowered to contribute ideas and were confident they would be listened to and supported.

Leaders had created a culture where staff wellbeing was genuinely valued. Staff described receiving exceptional support during periods of personal difficulty and ill health, including flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments. A staff member said management had been, “Extremely understanding and have accommodated my needs very well.” Another told us the registered manager, “Went above and beyond to help not only myself but my family as well.”

Professionals consistently praised the leadership of the service. One professional said, “The leadership of the home is excellent in my opinion.” Feedback highlighted strong partnership working, openness and engagement with external learning opportunities. The registered manager was a strong advocate for people and challenged barriers where they felt people with learning disabilities were disadvantaged, helping to ensure equitable access to support and opportunities.

The positive culture created by leaders was reflected in a company excellence award recognising the care provided to a person whose health was deteriorating. Family members specifically praised the caring response of leaders. Reflecting on the nomination, the registered manager said, “I am immensely proud of every member of the Longlast team. They are a shining example of excellence in care, and they deserve recognition for the incredible difference they make every single day.” This demonstrated a leadership culture that inspired staff, recognised excellence and consistently promoted outstanding outcomes for people.

The provider had systems that supported people and staff to raise concerns, provide feedback and influence the service. Staff understood safeguarding and whistleblowing processes and could describe how concerns would be escalated if required. Staff consistently reported feeling listened to and able to approach leaders with concerns or ideas. One staff member said, “I feel confident to freely speak up and contribute to staff meetings." Another explained they could approach leaders at any time and believed action would be taken when concerns were raised.

The provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion for both people and staff. Staff completed equality and diversity training and were supported by policies focused on equality, harassment and bullying. Recruitment processes were designed to minimise bias and leaders described adapting support to meet the needs of individual staff members. Staff told us everyone was treated fairly and opinions were valued regardless of role. One staff member stated, "Everyone is treated fairly."

Leaders promoted an inclusive workforce culture and provided reasonable adjustments where needed. Staff described receiving support around health conditions and individual circumstances which enabled them to remain in work.

The provider had governance systems in place to monitor quality, safety and performance. A range of audits were undertaken covering medicines, infection prevention and control, health and safety, governance and environmental safety. Leaders monitored incidents, accidents, safeguarding concerns and people's outcomes and used this information to drive improvements.

External audits reflected a high level of compliance and improving performance. Feedback forms and assessment records highlighted robust management oversight and effective quality monitoring arrangements.

The provider worked well with a range of external professionals and community organisations to support positive outcomes for people. This included working with GPs, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, community nurses, learning disability teams and local authority professionals.

Professionals consistently described positive partnership working. One professional told us, “The manager is always incredibly welcoming, she is transparent and forthcoming with any information and communicates well. Any and all information we request is given timely.” People were actively supported to access their local communities and maintain relationships with family, friends and other organisations. Opportunities included clubs, community events, religious activities, holidays, social groups and collaborative activities with other services.

The registered manager also participated in provider forums, learning disability networks and partnership groups, sharing learning.

The provider promoted a culture of learning and improvement. Leaders used feedback, incidents, audits and outcomes monitoring to identify areas for development and improve the quality of care. They engaged with external forums, networks, provider events and training to keep up to date with best practice. For example, the provider worked with partner agencies to achieve dementia accreditation and ensured all staff completed person-centred dementia training. Reaching a training level significantly above of what was required for the accreditation. Leaders used self-assessment tools and action plans linked to recognised dementia-friendly standards to review practice and identify improvements. Progress was monitored through quality assurance processes to support continuous service development.

Staff told us they were encouraged to share ideas and contribute to improvements. This helped the provider maintain good standards of care and achieve positive outcomes for people.