Stonecross Care Centre

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 requires improvement. 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 68 (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 and manager 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 acting manager and staff team had driven improvements in the service since the last inspection. Staff, people and their relatives all spoke about positive improvements made in the service. One relative told us, “The manager has made some good changes to the home and I think the staff respect them.”

The deputy manager had stepped up to act as the manager in the absence of a registered manager who understood the context in which care was delivered 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. The provider visited the home regularly and we were told by the manager and staff their support was accessible to everyone. The processes used and the oversight of recruitment procedures had improved. The manager was seen to be present frequently in the home and delegation of responsibilities were clear for the day to day running and oversight of the service. A relative told us, “We can talk to the manager any time, they are very helpful.”

The provider and management team fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Regular meetings between the management team and staff took place. Staff were given opportunities to discuss performance via a supervision & appraisal process. Staff told us they could speak up about anything and were listened to and things acted on. One member of staff told us, “I have previously worked with the new manager and since working here the changes made have been for the better.”

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 staff we spoke with spoke positively about their experiences of being recruited and working at the home. Staff told us they felt very supported by the manager. A staff member told us, “It’s nice working here the manager does their best with everything. I can talk to the manager about anything.”

The provider and manager had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and had developed 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. There were processes in place for provider to have oversight of the quality and safety of the service. Implementation of a variety of effective audit tools had been put in place, and these were now being completed consistently.

The provider and manager 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. After the last inspection the provider worked collaboratively with the local commissioner’s quality improvements teams. The home had developed good relationships in the local health services in the community. People told us their social needs were being met. One person told us about joining in the activities and said, “We have some fun we do, it’s good.” Another person told us about their regular visits to the local cricket club supported by the staff.

The provider and manager focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. There was an ongoing commitment and engagement with the local authority and commissioners and work had been completed with their quality improvement process. The Elearning training matrix showed some gaps in some staff training. The manager told us staff needed to further develop their online training. The manager encouraged staff to speak up with ideas for improvement and set a dedicated time weekly for a ‘managers surgery’ where staff could just drop in. There was a process in place for overseeing themes and trends for accidents & incidents that promoted learning from incidents and the implementation of better practices.