Claremont

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 did not have a clearly recorded mission and/or values statement, so staff were not able to consistently describe what the shared vision and values of the service were. The registered manager and staff did though talk about the importance of person-centred care and ensuring they promoted people’s dignity, independence and well-being. They also told us other aims of the service were to ensure people were active members of the community, leading as normal a life as possible, and free from discrimination or abuse.

Most staff told us there was a positive culture at the home, although some felt people’s independence could be promoted more. All staff told us people were safe and well cared for. One staff member commented, “The service as a whole is a lot happier.”

The provider had inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care and support and embodied the 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.

We received positive feedback from people using the service and a relative about the registered manager. The relative told us, “I can chat to the manager any time.” Visiting professionals told us, “The service appears to be managed well” and, “Management are approachable. I could always speak to them if I needed to, or if I had any concerns.”

Feedback from staff included, “[Registered manager] is always there when we need her” and, “[Registered manager] will sort any complaints. She takes on ideas and suggestions - she's great like that.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. There was information available to staff about whistleblowing and reporting safeguarding concerns. Staff were aware how to report any issues and told us they would feel comfortable sharing any concerns with the registered manager. They were confident anything they raised would be acted on.

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 policies in place relating to recruitment and selection, and equality and diversity, to foster a fair and inclusive working environment. The provider promoted staff wellbeing and staff were satisfied with the support they received from the registered manager.

The provider had made improvements to governance and auditing systems since our last inspection and they were no longer in breach of legal requirements. The registered manager regularly completed a range of appropriate audits, and action was usually taken in response to these, where any shortfalls were identified. We did though find some issues during our assessment which had not been addressed by the audits in place, such as minor anomalies with record keeping and medicines. There had also been some environmental issues identified in audits that were not addressed straightaway. Audits completed by the provider could be more robust, as they sometimes lacked detail about what specific records had been reviewed as part the audit and the detailed findings from this. This was particularly significant as the registered manager usually audited care plans they had written themselves, so additional independent scrutiny from the provider would assist with more objective auditing, particularly in relation to care planning and medication practices. So overall, whilst governance had improved, there still needed to be some continued attention on ensuring systems were fully effective and to ensure the registered manager received sufficient support.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information with partners and collaborated for improvement. The provider worked with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s holistic needs were met. This resulted in positive outcomes for people. Visiting health professionals told us staff were responsive to the advice they gave, and one provided an example where someone’s health condition had improved as a result of staff providing support in line with instructions given.

The provider focused on continuous learning and improvement across the organisation. They encouraged creative ways of delivering a good quality of life for people and contributed to safe and effective practice. They had learned and improved following the last inspection. The registered manager encouraged new ideas and suggestions in team meetings and supervisions. For instance, one staff member told us the registered manager had bought some new card games for people in response to a suggestion they had made. The registered manager used accidents, incidents and audits to identify any learning opportunities and improve practice. They shared any relevant learning with the team.

The registered manager told us they kept up to date with best practice and legislation by researching relevant websites and reading updates and bulletins, such as those from the regulator. We discussed exploring opportunities for peer support and more engagement with other providers, to support with best practice knowledge, continual improvement and innovation.