Sycamore House

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. The service had clear visions and values, which included focusing on care, compassion, competence, communication, and courage. Staff told us the team worked well together to provide people with good care. There was a warm and welcoming atmosphere. A staff member said “It is like a family.”

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. There was a clear management structure in place, which included the director, registered manager, deputy manager and team leaders. Staff told us all the leadership team were approachable, listened to them and they had confidence in them. The provider and staff team were dedicated to providing a person centred service, in which people lived fulfilled lives, in an environment which was comfortable and suited their needs.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. There were clear procedures and information in place, to enable staff to raise concerns. People, relatives and staff told us they felt comfortable to speak up and raise concerns, if they needed to. Staff understood their responsibilities to whistle-blow on poor practice and they told us action would be taken by the management team. A staff member said, “I feel happy in my job. I can speak to the managers, and the provider is also there if we need to speak to them. People here are safe. We (staff) make sure people are well cared for, people do lots of activities and have lots of choices.”

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 told us they felt supported in their roles. Staff told us they did not face any discrimination at work and no one had been subject to unfair treatment. All staff were supported with their professional development and staff initiatives were in place to celebrate staff's achievements. Staff told us they were encouraged and supported to undergo further professional development training.

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. Governance systems were in place, to monitor the quality and safety of the service. This included audits of infection prevention and control (IPC), the environment and medicines. Confidential information was stored appropriately, in line with national regulations. People, relatives and staff told us the service was well led.

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. Staff supported people in the community, to promote their independence and activities of daily living, such as food shopping, health appointments and attending school. People were supported to keep active and go for walks, attend social clubs and go to restaurants and cafes. Relatives and professionals told us staff worked in collaboration with them to meet people's needs.

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. The provider and management team were keen to continuously drive improvements in the service. A 'you said, we did' board was in place. This included activities people had asked to do, holidays and how they would like their rooms to be decorated. Some improvements were required to ensure the provider could evidence ongoing improvements. The service had no formal complaints at the time of our assessment. The management team understood their responsibilities to manage complaints effectively.