The Fernes

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 management team were highly experienced and had worked for the provider for many years. They demonstrated strong leadership team who maintained comprehensive oversight of the service, enabling them to effectively monitor the quality of care and work towards consistently positive outcomes for people. Throughout the inspection, it was clear they were deeply committed to the people they supported and focused on ensuring people lived the best lives possible. This commitment was reflected in the positive feedback received from people and their relatives.

The provider’s values were firmly embedded throughout the service, creating an environment where people experienced a strong sense of belonging, inclusion and wellbeing. Staff consistently delivered compassionate, person-centred care that reflected people’s wishes, preferences, routines, life histories and beliefs. As a result, people were supported to maintain their identity, independence and choice. This was reflected in feedback from people and their families. One person’s relative said, “It really is 5 stars here.”

We observed people were relaxed and comfortable, engaged in meaningful activities, maintained important relationships and consistently told us they were happy with the care and support they received. One staff member said, “Our aim is to definitely provide person-centred care and to be open and honest with everything. We always communicate with each other and try to resolve any problems.”

There were dementia champions within the service, and staff participated in regular dementia champion meetings with colleagues from the provider’s other services to share good practice and develop their knowledge. Records of these meetings showed staff openly discussed ways to enhance people’s experiences and promote positive outcomes. For example, staff shared effective approaches to engaging people living with dementia in everyday conversations and activities, regardless of their abilities.

A whole-home approach supported compassionate and person-centred care. All staff, including those working in non-care roles, understood their role in promoting people's wellbeing and knew people as individuals. We saw and heard non care staff engaging with people in a meaningful way, such as speaking to people by name and having a conversation rather than just saying hello.

Regular staff meetings took place and staff we spoke with told us they were kept informed of how the service was working and were actively involved in any changes being put in place. The registered manager said, “The team have great experience; they are open, honest, and great at caring for our residents. We all want people to be happy here. I encourage the staff to work towards professional development, and I will support them to do so. I am proud to be the manager here. My door is open and residents and staff can come to me with everything."

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.

The registered manager demonstrated a clear vision and a genuine commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred care that was aligned with the provider's values. Their passion for achieving positive outcomes for people was evident, alongside a strong commitment to staff development through ongoing training and learning opportunities. The impact of this leadership style was reflected in the strong and trusting relationships that we were told were core amongst the whole staff team, and with external organisations. This open and supportive approach to leadership, helped to promote a positive culture and contributed to positive outcomes for people. Feedback from external professionals further demonstrated the effectiveness of this leadership. One professional told us the registered manager had been a positive influence at the service. They told us, “[Registered manager] is very proactive, caring for her staff as well as the residents. She is very approachable, very responsive and very visible.”

People and their relatives spoke highly of the registered manager who they knew by name, telling us that she was always visible, approachable and helpful. Comments included, “[Registered manager] was so helpful when I first arrived. She is so bubbly and kind and quickly helped me feel at home” and “[Registered manager] always comes and checks on me when she is walking around the home each day and we will have a chat together.” One person’s relative said, “I do know the manager. She does everything she can to sort out any problems.”

Staff spoke highly of the wider management team as a whole describing them as “open”, “honest” and “supportive.” One staff member said, “It’s well managed here. [Registered manager] is really approachable, and she likes to remind us that her office is an open and honest space.” Staff told us the management team led by example, often providing hands on support when needed. Another staff member said of the management team, “They’re involved in the daily routine for staff and residents. We can rely on them if there’s any problem. If I struggle with something I know they will support me. They supported me well when I went through my qualification. They actually listen.”

The registered manager was a visible presence throughout the service, and we were told this was usual. This visible, approachable and supportive leadership fostered a positive and empowering culture in which people and staff felt listened to, valued and confident that their views would be acted upon. This enabled people to play an active role in decisions about their care and daily lives, resulting in support that was personalised, responsive and reflective of their individual wishes, preferences and needs.

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

There was a whistleblowing policy in place. Staff told us they knew how to raise concerns and felt confident to do so. The provider had named whistleblowing ‘champions’ which staff could speak to if they preferred, and staff we spoke with were aware of the provider’s whistleblowing telephone line. The speak up champions attended regular meetings with the provider’s senior management team.

One staff member said, “We have speak-up champions. There are 2 speak up champions on days and 1 on nights. Staff can go and speak to them more confidentially. If not, we can go to [senior management team]. We can also go to the Care Quality Commission outside of work. I’ve not had to raise concerns.”

The provider always valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

There was a diverse staff team in post. Equality, diversity and inclusion were embedded throughout the organisation's culture and leadership approach, ensuring staff were treated fairly and supported to develop professionally. The provider recognised staff as multi-talented individuals whose life experiences and abilities could enhance the lives of the people they supported. They did this by encouraging staff to share their range of skills and talents, in this way promoting staff confidence, pride and greater involvement in the life enrichment of people. For example, staff who were trained or experienced in other skills, such as languages, exercises, massage and crafts were encouraged to bring these skills to work and to utilise them. The registered manager told us this had helped to strengthen relationships between people and staff as people found shared interests and cultures between them and the staff who supported them.

The registered manager told us they supported staff with personal support and any cultural needs and staff we spoke with confirmed this. They told us, “For example, during Ramadan, we make sure we adjust shifts for the staff, and if any staff would like to pray, we can allocate private space for them.” The provider celebrated diversity and inclusion across the service. Cultural events had taken place to recognise and celebrate the different backgrounds, identities and traditions of staff, which included staff dressing up and various food tastings.

Staff told us the team worked well together. One staff member said, “I really enjoy working here, it’s relaxed but we all get on with our jobs. We all work very well together.”

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.

The provider had a schedule of audits and checks to monitor how the service was running. There was oversight at provider level, and any actions arising were monitored to ensure action was taken and issues resolved. Alongside the provider audits, the management team carried out regular walk rounds, attended daily stand-up meetings with heads of departments, and carried out visual checks including out of hours checks, to monitor the quality of service provided.

The service also benefited from a skilled and knowledgeable wider management team, including heads of department who had enhanced expertise within their respective areas of responsibility. In addition to maintaining oversight of service-wide quality and performance, members of the management team also met regularly with people through the ‘Resident of the Day’ approach. This provided further assurance that people's individual needs, preferences and experiences were regularly reviewed and remained central to the delivery and development of the service. This enabled managers to identify and respond promptly to any concerns, helping to ensure people continued to receive high-quality, person-centred care.

The provider actively sought feedback from people, relatives, friends and staff through regular meetings and surveys, and the results demonstrated the provider's ongoing commitment to listening to feedback and highlighted improvements in the experiences of people using the service, their relatives and staff.

A health professional spoke positively about the quality of care provided and the leadership of the service. One professional told us, “I have no concerns. If I look for respite places, I recommend The Fernes, and also for long term placements.”

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 recognised the importance of people maintaining links with their local community. People were regularly supported to access activities and events that reflected their interests, helping them remain connected, active and socially included.

The provider had good links and relationships with healthcare partners and had built a network with the local community. This included a social prescribing connection to the local GP practice. Social prescribing connects people to non-clinical community activities to improve health and well-being. This enabled people to continue participating in their local community by welcoming others into the environment to take part in events such as arts and crafts. A monthly dementia café was run at the service monthly and there were monthly community events arranged. During the inspection month, it was the service’s 10-year anniversary, and they were hosting a themed garden party which the mayor was attending. Regular church services were available for those who wished to attend. The registered manager said, “We do lots. The local [supermarket chain] is coming in soon to do chocolate tasting. We are well known locally because we are an active part of the local community.”

We saw and people told us, there was a strong sense of community within the service. Friends and family were encouraged to play an active role in people’s lives and were welcomed at any time. Regular events and celebrations brought people, relatives and friends together, helping to strengthen relationships and maintain meaningful connections.

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 management team had fostered a positive and open culture where staff were encouraged to reflect on what had gone well, identify opportunities for improvement and consider lessons learned. Learning and good practice were shared through supervision, team meetings and training refreshers, helping to ensure improvements were consistently understood, embedded and sustained across the workforce. This approach supported continuous improvement and enabled staff to develop their skills and confidence, contributing to positive experiences and outcomes for people. When asked about how the service promoted learning, 1 staff member said, “Residents have a meeting every month so they have their voice to say anything, whatever they would like change, concerns or complaints. They can speak up with us or the management. Relatives have a meeting every month as well, with the head of departments. We are open and honest with everyone.” Records we reviewed and feedback from people using the service reflected this.

The management team acted promptly and transparently to address issues identified during the inspection and they were open to our feedback during and after the inspection. They used feedback from people using the service, relatives, staff, and professionals to drive improvements and promoted a culture of learning, which included encouraging staff training and professional development.