Whiteoaks Rest 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 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 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. People were consulted about their care and care plans; relatives’ input was sought. A relative told us, “The registered manager is open and helpful, they helped us with filling in forms for an allowance. The provider is also very approachable.” The provider told us they support people to attend local church services or arrange for representatives from people’s preferred churches to come in when requested.

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, relatives and staff consistently told us about the positive and caring attitudes of the management team.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. A relative told us, “If I felt I was not happy about anything, I would be happy to raise it, and they would listen. They always phone if there is anything amiss.” People told us if they complained, it would always be dealt with appropriately. People living in the service were asked for their views at regular residents’ meetings and the provider had an open-door policy. We saw evidence of the provider acting on feedback from people about the menu following 1 of these meetings.

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. Staff told us they felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. People with protected characteristics felt supported. The provider held regular staff meetings and had recognition awards to engage with and celebrate the staff.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes. For example, the provider had not identified the concerns we found on inspection in relation to medicine management, recruitment, water temperature testing and flushing. However, the provider was very responsive throughout our inspection and immediately started to make improvements. They have implemented a more robust audit system to ensure they are able to identify any shortfalls and mitigate any risks going forwards.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. We saw examples of when they had shared information and learning with partners or collaborated for improvement. However, we received feedback from 1 professional who told us the management team were not always working well with professionals and were guarded at times.

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. Leaders spoke passionately about the need for continuous learning to drive improvements for the service. They described a strong desire for improvement and shared their plans to continue improving the service.