Collington Park Lodge

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service.

This key question has been rated 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 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.

The home incorporates a “Home for Life” approach to their ethos and ways of operating. The staff worked with people to promote them to enjoy their lives as much as possible and utilised a person-centred approach when supporting their care needs. A family member told us, “I can’t fault the place at all, its brilliant”

Photos of residents and staff in social activities, spending time together, were displayed through the home which the care manager had organised to promote inclusivity and homeliness. There was a strong sense of community spirit, and various public groups of people were welcomed into the home to make free use of its facilities for meetings. These included professional community teams, and social activity groups that could incorporate interaction with the people who lived there, for example, a mother and baby group.

The registered manager recognised the benefits of building links with the local community, and when discussing their aims for the future and what they were working towards the registered manager told us, “I would love the home to have a reputation for good quality care and excellent customer service” and “I like to build good strong community links, encourage people to come to the home, continuously building and evolving and growing.” For example, a mini festival was being organised during our visit to the home, and this would be open to the public with the registered manager exploring different stall ideas and the option to have a day licence for a beer garden. The opportunities to build friendship groups within the home were encouraged by the registered manager, showing understanding of the health benefits of social interaction and stimulation. A person told us, “We get on well, we have fun and laugh.”

Staff feedback about the culture of the home was extremely positive with staff who had worked in other healthcare settings telling us they planned to stay working there as it was such a nice place to work. Staff comments included, “judging from other homes I have worked in I can see I will stay for a long time.” and “The atmosphere is like no other, by far better here in this home, it’s amazing.” When asked if there was anything that could be improved a member of staff told us, “Nothing I can think of, no.”

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.

Management offices were located at the entrance lobby, so managers were a highly visible presence within the home and easily accessible for people, staff and visitors. We saw some genuine interactions between the registered manager and people and could see people recognised and knew them; this demonstrated that the registered manager spent time on the floor with people and therefore had hands on, up to date knowledge of people’s needs, helping to ensure the right level of support was provided by their team. The home’s management and staff structure was very organised and the people in leadership roles were experienced and knowledgeable in their field. Both the care manager and registered manager believed that people who were at the home should be encouraged and supported to live their lives as they wished, and the ethos of the home was based on compassion and trust, thinking about how the home could help people who were in their care. They created an environment where everyone felt valued and did so by listening and showing respect and empathy.

Leaders supervised the care team with clear direction and made sure staff knew the responsibilities within their roles and the expected outcomes when delivering care to people; people’s quality of life was prioritised. The registered manager led by example and made sure they were continually improving their own knowledge and expertise, keeping up to date with requirements and relevant changes in regulation. They confirmed there was support from the provider and wider regional team, and that they were always available for guidance should they require any; on the day of our visit, we met the regional director and managing director of the southeast, who both attended the home on a regular basis. Staff spoken with talked about the management team with respect and admiration giving feedback which included comments such as, “You can go to management and tell them anything, they are very approachable, they try to find a solution” and “ It is very well led, management, I can’t speak highly enough.” The home’s leaders encouraged the care team to have an inclusive attitude and friendly approach which cascaded down from above, with staff telling us, “The right staff members are within the management team, they will come out and talk, have a laugh with you, you are not just an employee, not just a number.” The registered manager recognised the potential in others and was committed in developing a confident and capable care team with opportunities given to all staff so they could build on their leadership skills and achieve new qualifications, moving up to new levels of responsibility. Some staff spoken with confirmed they had been given promotion opportunities, and the chance to gain new skills. A staff member told us, “The registered manager has some lovely ideas, is supportive and approachable.”

In addition, the wider regional and managing directors were seen as approachable and accessible with a fortnightly feedback call being held by the managing director for the south, which any staff could attend if they wished; this took place in the home’s cinema room, and staff were welcome to pop in and discuss things they may have concerns about. Staff told us they would feel confident enough to get in touch with regional directors saying,” I would contact one of our regionals.” The overall accessibility of senior leaders and managers to the staff team was impressive and they worked hard to be approachable, establishing and maintaining good channels of communication with the home’s workforce.

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

The home worked to maintain an open and transparent culture where staff opinions were valued, and opportunities were provided for everyone to offer feedback and contribute their ideas. The registered manager told us, “I like a cultural openness and transparency, and encourage staff to have the same view.” Various staff meetings were held, some for all staff and some for seniors or heads of department. This allowed for specific areas to be targeted for discussion with senior staff and more overall issues for the wider care team. When discussing staff meetings, and feedback on the issues discussed, staff told us, “We get minutes if we are not there, they are pinned up on the notice board, in the staff room.” This was seen to be easily accessible for everyone to read and keep informed on recent team meetings if they had not been able to attend in person.

Staff confirmed they had guidance on whistleblowing saying, “Got given information in staff room about whistleblowing and who to go to.” This shows the home was open and encouraging to staff if they wished to highlight any concerns, and that they recognised the need for staff to have other options, if they felt the home was not addressing concerns internally.

Individual staff development, guidance and opportunity for feedback was supported by regular supervisions and staff confirmed to us, “We have supervisions, 1-1meetings, and an annual appraisal.” These were generally with the same person for consistency and staff confirmed if they were leading the supervision meetings they had been trained and observed by the registered manager to ensure competency in the required processes.

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.

Equality and diversity training was provided for all staff to ensure they could demonstrate those values when administering care, and there were relevant policies in place, with the registered manager ensuring people were treated fairly and these principles were adhered to. Within the care team there were staff of varying experience, and different nationalities, and those we spoke with felt they were part of a team who worked well together. Inclusivity was promoted from the top down with the registered manager telling us, “If someone has a protected characteristic, I will fight their corner and make a comfortable workplace.”

The registered manager 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 registered manager was fully aware of the responsibilities associated with the role. Any incidents or concerns had been raised with the appropriate agency, for example the Local authority or CQC, in a timely manner with the correct procedures being followed. The registered manager confirmed they had a good working relationship with the local authority saying,” Yes they are supportive, I have never had a problem with them and call if I need them.”

There was good communication between the company regional teams so that if something happened in another area this was communicated to the registered manager and then cascaded down to the team should it be needed. Workforce planning and staff performance was well managed, and the registered manager had clear processes in place for communicating risks and improvements to their care team.

Regular audits were completed to maintain oversite throughout the home with a risk tracker on a central system. When explaining the system and processes the registered manager told us, ‘This is what the audit shows, and this is what we need to fix it.’ Issues were able to be identified and quickly addressed.

There were Heads of Department meetings, and urgent actions were communicated via a secure staff messaging system. Opportunities for the whole team to touch base were provided during “10 at 10” daily catch ups, where the main points of that day would be highlighted including any important information or visits due to be happening. Management had good oversite of the home, and the needs of people who lived there were safely and effectively managed with people’s involvement and input. A business continuity plan detailed actions to take and contact information in the event of an emergency, and arrangements were agreed for people to be provided with safe shelter at a sister home in the local area.

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.

When required, information was shared securely and professionally across different services, but many people were able to communicate their needs themselves so required minimal staff support. Staff were supportive to all who lived at the home, including those who were more independent, ensuring anyone who needed extra care or treatment could obtain access. Healthcare professionals were welcomed into the home to provide in-house treatment, for example Podiatry, and a professional told us, “There is respect for the service I provide.”

The home’s links with other community groups were celebrated with a “community tree” displaying photos of various contacts, for example the Pet Therapy dog which visited the home and children from the local primary school. It included details of local professional services which evidenced collaboration with supportive partners and acted as a reference point for people within the home. Community links were valued and continued efforts were made to promote and develop the service.

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 and research.

The registered manager liaised with similar professionals in manager groups and kept up their own learning and development to ensure standards of care measured up to, or exceeded, current expectations. The registered manager told us, “I have a lot of general meetings with other teams across the company, the central team cascade information down to us to read up on.” The registered manager told us they have an internal company group, Cool care, that enables staff to be communicated with easily and is a secure and quick method of ensuring everyone has been updated with important information relating to delivery of care. The management team openly encouraged and welcomed the local community into the premises and promoted interaction with people, always trying to introduce new ways of socialising and providing stimulation to people staying at the home, for example the mini festival, “Collingfest” which was developed after being suggested by staff, and acts as a way of integrating into the community and developing connections with the local area and the public. Appropriate risk assessments were planned. The registered manager actively encouraged staff to expand their skill set and progress into more responsible roles, and staff confirmed they had been given opportunities for promotion and development within the workforce. The use of new technology was embraced with different digital systems being used for care records, medication administration and team monitoring and communications.