Wyndham Hall 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.

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.

Systems were in place to ensure staff were made aware of the core values of the organisation. Staff were knowledgeable about them and told us senior staff including the registered manager, demonstrated these on a daily basis.

The provider and service had a culture of openness, learning and commitment to deliver good care where people felt safe and looked after. This was demonstrated in a number of ways. The provider shared a weekly newsletter with staff, which celebrated events across the providers homes, shared news and any updates from the organisation. In addition, if national awareness weeks were being held these were also promoted, for instance, national dementia action week.

A Senior manager told us, they lead by example, being visible, professional and consistent in following policies, safeguarding procedures and best practice. They said they aimed to create a calm, organised environment where expectations were clear and staff felt confident in their responsibilities. Senior managers described themselves as accessible, with staff able to approach them easily for advice, guidance or to escalate concerns. This was supported by what staff told us. Comments included, “Leaders lead by example through clear communication, prioritising person-centred care, and supporting staff. They are approachable and accessible when needed” and “They [senior managers] listen to our concerns. We talk in the meeting how we will improve. We talk what are our concerns and we discuss until it is resolved.”

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.

People, their relatives and staff all knew who the registered manager was. Staff told us the registered manager and senior managers at the home were supportive and approachable. Comments included, “The leaders are hardworking, honest, caring and always emphasise the importance of teamwork and supporting other staff. They are easily accessible and approachable should we need any advice”, “I feel the leaders have a great knowledge and understanding, very able to lead, very approachable with any worries or concerns”, “They [managers] listen and see what works and will adapt if changes need to be made” and “Very accessible, communicating with staff, supporting the floor if busy.”

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

Senior managers described a positive, open and supportive culture, where staff were encouraged to speak up, raise concerns and share ideas without fear. The principle of “freedom to speak up” was well understood, with leaders emphasising approachability, non judgemental listening and clear whistleblowing procedures to prevent closed or blame cultures. Senior managers gave clear assurances concerns were taken seriously, acted upon promptly, and used as learning opportunities. This was confirmed by what staff told us, “When I have spoken up in the past, I have been listened to and my concerns were taken seriously, with appropriate actions taken”, “In staff meetings, registered manager discusses whistleblowing if we have concerns about residents care and what to do if we have concerns with other staff”, “To be able to raise concerns or issues, nothing will change if people don't speak up” and “I always encourage staff to speak up if something is troubling them, if they have good ideas about changing something that's not working”.

Staff were able to give examples of what action had been taken following them speaking up at team meetings. This showed an open culture within the home.

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.

People were supported by a diverse group of staff which represented the local community. The provider was able to support staff whilst they observed religious holidays and practises.

The provider’s policies and procedures supported an inclusive culture where all people and staff were respected, and their differences celebrated.

Staff told us they felt supported and their identity was celebrated. One member of staff told us, “I get support from the nursing home for my physical wellbeing … They also host regular events for the staff and family members such as a culture day and annual Christmas parties. These events improve the mental wellbeing of staff and also fosters a deeper sense of community within the nursing home. The registered manager has been supportive and considerate by helping me maintain a positive work-life balance such as when I request days off to spend time with my family.”

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 various audits and monitoring systems in place to ensure they maintained strong oversight of the service. Comprehensive audits in place looked at areas of practice such as kitchen/catering, infection control, medicines, safeguarding practice and health and safety. Where areas of improvement have been identified, action plans had been put in place and the audits recorded compliance with the required actions. There was good oversight of actions completed and records of any barriers to them being completed in a timely manner.

We noted some issues were identified in more than one audit, we discussed this with the provider who was able to share reassurances with us.

Policies and procedures followed best practice guidance, and we could see staff understood and followed policies.

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 were provided with many examples of how Wyndham Hall Care Home had integrated into the local community. People were encouraged to be part of the home’s community and had opportunities to access the local community, shops and venues.

People were asked about their likes and dislikes and their previous history. A document was produced so staff could understand people’s previous occupation. Links had been made with the local fire station as a person living at the home had previously served as a fire fighter.

The home had access to transport which helped facilitate trips to garden centres and national trust properties.

The home had forged links with local school and children had visited the home. In addition, people were supported to maintain their religious beliefs. Communion services were held within the home for various denominations.

Relatives told us they are made aware of the activities and visits on offer and feel their family member benefits from the variety. Comments included, “[person] goes into the garden with a member of staff and last summer one of them took them out as part of the activities”, “The staff tell me [person] joins in sometimes. I’ve seen photographs of them with animals when we are not there”, “Activities are good and [person] enjoys them and they have singers and a show and it is very good. We get to know the weeks’ activities” and “There are external activities and [person] went out on the minibus.”

The provider 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.

The provider supported staff at the home to learn, develop and retain skills to ensure they could support people. They did this by celebrating national awareness events. For instance, an internal communication campaign was held “dedicated to educating colleagues about pain and how it can present in people living with dementia”. This focused on understanding pain assessment tools such as the Abbey Pain Scale and how antipsychotics medicines could affect people and their pain. Other events included fall awareness and dementia awareness.

We were provided with evidence of how the provider invested in new technologies to improve productivity within the organisation procurement teams and provided staff with dedicated computerised applications to make recording their work more timely. For instance, hospitality staff were provided with systems to demonstrate compliance with food safety.

The provider held an annual conference; staff were encouraged to attend. The last conference held concentrated on the providers fulfilling lives initiative. The provider described the initiative as the “vision for what makes working at MMCG and the lives of the people who live with us truly fulfilling.”