Bradbury Gardens

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 79 (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.

Leaders promoted a positive and person-centred culture where people were at the heart of decision-making. Staff consistently understood the provider's values and described working towards shared goals. Leaders engaged with people, relatives and staff to understand their experiences and use feedback to shape service development. The culture promoted openness, collaboration and continuous improvement, helping to achieve positive outcomes for people. A relative told us, "We trust them with our most precious family member and that trust is being repaid”.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Leaders were visible, approachable and acted with integrity, openness and honesty. Leaders promoted an inclusive culture where people and staff were treated with dignity and respect. There was evidence that leaders understood the challenges facing the service and responded proactively to support high-quality care and positive workforce wellbeing. Staff spoke openly about the challenges they had overcome and how the registered manager had guided them through a difficult time with exceptional strength and leadership. A staff member told us, “[The registered manager] has been brilliant. We saw a problem and [the registered manager] took immediate action to resolve. The best bit is [the registered manager] won’t leave it and will keep checking, improving and refining. We have really come through a difficult time. We are much improved and it is a nice place to work and we do give genuinely good care and attention to people.” Another staff member said, “Six months ago we had a wobble. The way we solved that it was very impressive and its better now. The way we were managed and led through it was a good thing. [The registered manager] addressed the problems. It was a big thing to turn around, [but] it is a good place to work.”

Managers championed equality, diversity and inclusion across the service, ensuring people’s rights were upheld and all staff were treated fairly. Staff told us managers had made amendments to training specifically to support their learning needs, and they listened and understood when they experienced health issues.

Staff shared a strong understanding of the service’s values and worked collaboratively to achieve outstanding outcomes for the people they supported. The provider valued their leadership team and invested in management training skills to equip leaders with essential management skills. They also identified future leaders and invested time and training to support staff to reach their potential. A deputy manager told us, “[It is] amazing. I started as agency- was temporary for a while whilst I did my degree, I made the decision to move from [a long way away] to live here permanently and I don’t regret that decision [because of the culture of the service].” Another staff member said, “It is completely about [people] making their best life and engaging with. The whole vision of the college is around that person centred approach and enabling [people] to do what they want to do.”

Without exception, people spoke positively about the registered manager and their exceptional commitment to the service. A staff member said, “[The registered manager] is approachable, honest, and listens. They sent out a survey as soon as we hit problems. [They are a good manager] and they speak their mind when its needed.” Another staff member said, “The [registered] manager is definitely approachable and fair to all staff. There's not one I would prefer to go to. I wouldn’t hold back if there was an issue.”

Staff also praised the leadership team as a whole. One staff member said, “In all of the meetings I have with the management team, directorate, heads level, I feel respected. They appreciate my skills and knowledge and they are open to suggestions and discussions.”

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

Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns and were confident these would be listened to and acted upon. Systems such as team meetings, supervision and feedback mechanisms supported open communication. The provider promoted openness and transparency across the service, and we heard that leaders were responsive to concerns and learning was shared where appropriate. A staff member told us, “I feel very well supported…we had a wobble 6 months ago, but the way that senior management dealt with it was outstanding…I shared my concerns and I felt I had been listened to.” Another staff member said, “[I feel] 100 percent supported by management. I'm quite opinionated about a lot of things. I'll go to managers and they will be fair with me. If it’s something that needs addressing it will be addressed.”

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 valued diversity and promoted an inclusive working environment. Staff told us they were treated fairly and with respect, regardless of their background or personal characteristics.

Equality, diversity and inclusion were reflected in policies, training and recruitment practices. Staff had access to support and reasonable adjustments where required. Leaders monitored equality issues and took steps to strengthen inclusivity and belonging across the workforce. In the most recent provider information return (PIR), the provider spoke about disability inclusion, “We are implementing a new process for accessing reasonable adjustments—including assistive technologies. This aims not only to support employees in achieving their best from the outset but also to ensure ongoing review of the effectiveness of those adjustments and the exploration of new support mechanisms as they become available.”

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 effective governance systems and processes that had identified where improvements needed to be made. Audits, monitoring activities and oversight arrangements had therefore been used effectively to identify risks and drive improvements. Leaders reviewed performance information and acted when issues were identified. Systems enabled the provider to assess the quality and sustainability of the service, although the provider recognised the importance of continuous development and continued to strengthen oversight and systems on an ongoing basis.

There was a board of governors who brought a range of skills and expertise and oversaw the running of the college. We reviewed the governor activity and saw they were actively involved in supporting systems of accountability and good governance. The chief executive told us, “Over last 2 terms we have had governors come in and do shadowing, it has given governors the opportunity to learn more about what we are doing here and have much more insight. People see the presence of the governors as a good thing.”

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.

There was a clear commitment to strong partnership working, with positive relationships established with external professionals. Staff collaborated well with health and social care professionals and maintained positive working relationships with external agencies. Information was shared appropriately to support joined-up care and ensure people's needs were met. One professional said, “I work closely with the service and have consistently found it to provide a high standard of care...[Staff] work collaboratively with us and are receptive to advice which promotes coordinated care for [people].”

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 provider demonstrated a strong commitment to learning, improvement and innovation. Leaders actively sought feedback, reviewed incidents and shared learning to improve outcomes for people. Staff were encouraged to reflect on practice and contribute ideas for service development.

Quality assurance systems were evident, including regular audits, reviews, and checks that supported the identification of areas where improvements were needed.

Policies and procedures had been reviewed and strengthened in response to learning from incidents, as well as feedback from families and staff.

The management team were open to the feedback we gave throughout the assessment and showed a willingness to continually improve the service and achieve exceptional outcomes for people.