Dunster Lodge Residential 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 71 (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.

There was a newly appointed manager and deputy manager at the home. They had a clear vision for the home which was shared by staff. The manager told us, “It needs to be a home, we are a family and whatever people want they can have.” Staff said they aimed to create a family type atmosphere where everyone was an individual. One person told us, “It’s like home. It’s a home from home.”

Two people told us the thing they liked most was the sense of fun. One person said, “The best thing is you can have a laugh and a joke. We are all equal really."

The provider had inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The new manager had the skills needed to effectively manage the home and promote a positive open culture. One member of staff told us, “There have been some positive changes and it’s a very happy place to work.” A visiting relative described the new manager as “First class."

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

Staff and people felt able to speak up and raise any concerns they had. One person told us, “If I ask to see [manager’s name] they come straight up to see me.” Staff said they felt the manager was open and approachable and they would not hesitate to raise any concerns.

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 felt fairly treated and respected. One member of staff said, “I feel trusted and valued."

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability. Some improvements were being made to how quality was monitored.

The new manager and deputy had implemented new audits to enable them to better monitor the quality of care provided to people and to plan improvements. New environmental audits were also being introduced as previous audits had not identified all concerns found on the first inspection visit. As these audits had not yet been fully embedded it was too early to assess how they would lead to improvements.

New roles had recently been introduced to make sure there were clear lines of responsibility and accountability. One member of staff commented, “It’s all so positive at the moment. Staff are being given responsibilities which take advantage of their strengths.”

The manager was very visible in the home which enabled them to observe care practices and promptly address any shortfalls.

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.

The manager had good relationships with outside professionals and people’s families and representatives. They shared information appropriately to make sure people received good care.

The provider focused on continuous learning and improvement. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people.

The newly appointed management team were committed to making ongoing improvements to the care people received and the smooth running of the home. Staff felt that changes being put in place were positive. One member of staff said, “Changes that needed to happen are happening now. It’s all good.”

Throughout our inspection visits the management team were open to feedback and took immediate action to rectify issues.