Hartford Court

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

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement. This meant the management and leadership was inconsistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care. The service was in breach of the regulation in relation to good governance.

This service scored 50 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Although the provider had a shared vision and culture, we did not see this had always been reflected at the service. However, people, relatives and staff we spoke with noted improvements since the new registered manager had been in post. The registered manager and deputy manager were working with staff to improve morale and the culture within the home.

At the time of our inspection, the registered manager had been in post for approximately 3 months, and a new deputy manager for approximately 3 weeks. The regional operations manager and an experienced deputy manager from another of the provider’s homes were also supporting the service. People and staff we spoke with noted communication had improved since the change in management. Staff we spoke with also shared positive feedback about the manager. Although leaders responded promptly when concerns were shared and identified, a lack of robust systems and processes meant we could not be assured concerns would be identified independently.

The provider did not consistently foster a positive speak up culture. Staff feedback showed concerns were not always acted on. For example, in relation to staffing levels. However, the provider had a freedom to speak up policy, freedom to speak up guardian and weekly drop in sessions with directors to raise concerns. The new management team were working to improve responses to staff feedback, but this needed time to embed.

The provider did not always work towards and inclusive and fair culture among the workforce. A recent staff survey showed 42% who completed the survey felt they were not treated fairly, and 29% felt wellbeing was not important to the service. Although multiple staff noted experiencing or witnessing bullying in the workplace, this was not addressed in the staff survey action plan until after our inspection. The provider was aware of shortfalls in this area, and the deputy manager told us of their plans to improve the staff culture and morale.

The provider did not operate robust systems and processes to consistently, effectively assess, monitor and improve quality and safety. This meant concerns were not independently identified or addressed during a period when there was no registered manager in post. Audits completed by the provider did not always identify shortfalls, and when they did, these were not always addressed in a timely manner. We found continued shortfalls in areas the provider had identified in their own audits, and those completed by partner agencies. For example, the provider and a partner agency identified call bell response times were inadequate in June 2025, August 2025, December 2025 and January 2026. However, regular robust reviews of call bell response time reviews were not started until February 2026.

Although the provider had a service improvement plan and management were responsive to concerns raised, there continued to be exposure to the risk of harm for people at the time of our inspection.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership. We saw evidence of the service working with partner agencies. We received feedback from partner agencies that the service was engaging with them to make improvements.

The provider was working to improve their focus on continuous learning and improvement and had a service improvement plan. Although we saw some evidence of lessons being learned and the provider demonstrated a clear desire to improve, processes and a change in culture needed time to ensure any learning could be effectively implemented and embedded.