Otto Schiff

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 75 (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 demonstrated a clear strategic direction for the service, including developing specialist dementia provision and community-based support, informed by engagement with the local community and funding development. Leaders described how the organisation had worked with the community to develop a five‑year strategy focused on dementia care and supporting people at different stages of need.

Leaders focused on providing person‑centred care, and staff spoke about supporting people with compassion and respect. The provider supported openness, including through regular meetings and opportunities for feedback.

The provider demonstrated a culture of learning and improvement. Staff reported concerns and incidents appropriately, and the provider reviewed these to identify trends and support improvements in practice. The provider shared learning with staff through meetings and communication systems to promote safe and consistent care.

The provider involved people and their relatives in developing and improving the service, and feedback was used to inform changes to care and practice. The culture of the service reflected an understanding of people’s needs and supported inclusive and respectful care.

This supported a positive and open culture where staff worked together to deliver safe, person‑centred care.

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.

Leaders worked collaboratively across the organisation to support the service, with additional oversight provided by senior roles including a business support manager, compliance manager and operational leadership. In the absence of a registered manager, the provider maintained continuity of leadership through support from senior managers and leaders from other services.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from managers and described leaders as approachable and responsive. Leaders were available and supported staff to deliver care in line with the provider’s values.

Staff received consistent support through supervision, meetings and day‑to‑day contact with team leaders and managers. Although there had been changes in leadership, staff told us they continued to receive support and guidance from the wider management team. Leaders acknowledged challenges, including staffing pressures, and demonstrated awareness of the impact on staff and people using the service.

Leaders worked with staff and external professionals to ensure people’s needs were met and maintained a focus on providing safe, person‑centred care.

This supported staff to feel supported and enabled them to deliver compassionate and effective care.

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

Staff told us they felt confident raising concerns and were assured these would be taken seriously and addressed. The provider supported staff to speak up through supervision, team meetings and escalation to senior staff.

Staff felt able to share concerns without fear of negative consequences. Staff told us that when they raised issues, managers responded appropriately and took action where needed.

The provider also supported people and their relatives to raise concerns, with clear processes to manage complaints and share outcomes.

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 had clear policies relating to equality and diversity, which were in line with current best practice guidance. Staff described a supportive and respectful working environment and spoke positively about the support they received from managers. Staff had access to training, supervision and development opportunities, and training records showed high levels of compliance across the workforce.

The service maintained a stable staff team, with many staff working at the service for a number of years, which supported continuity and positive working relationships. The provider followed the same processes for all staff, monitored training and supported development.

The culture within the service promoted respect and inclusion, and staff worked together to deliver person‑centred care.

This supported staff to feel valued and enabled them to provide consistent and inclusive care.

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.

Leaders maintained effective governance through regular auditing of care, medicines and training, plus daily, monthly and quarterly oversight of incidents to spot trends and risks. They monitored staffing, recruitment and service delivery with support from central workforce planning and development systems. Leaders reviewed performance information to drive improvements.

Leaders investigated incidents and shared learning with staff to prevent recurrence. Leaders escalated concerns appropriately with external professionals where needed. Wider organisational support, including a central safeguarding and quality assurance team, provided additional oversight. Leaders showed good awareness of changing needs and worked to ensure care remained safe, consistent and sustainable.

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 provider worked effectively with healthcare professionals, including GPs, district nurses and specialists, to meet people’s needs. Staff made referrals when required and worked collaboratively with other services to ensure people received support they needed.

The provider shared information with external partners to support continuity, including during hospital admissions and discharges. Staff maintained communication with professionals and families to ensure care remained coordinated and consistent.

Leaders worked with external organisations and community partners to review risks and provide reassurance to people and their families.

The provider also shared information and learning with partners where appropriate to support improvements in practice.

This ensured people received joined‑up care and had their needs met through coordinated working with external services.

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 provider monitored incidents, events and outcomes to identify trends and risks. Leaders reviewed information regularly, including daily, monthly and quarterly analysis, and used this to improve care and reduce the likelihood of repeated incidents.

The provider used feedback from incidents, complaints and reviews to support improvements. Leaders shared learning with staff through meetings and communication systems, and staff described how changes were implemented in practice. The provider also undertook reflective learning, including following people’s deaths, to identify opportunities for improvement.

The provider used systems of governance and oversight to support ongoing improvement and maintain the quality of care.

This supported continuous improvement and helped ensure people received safe and effective care.