Andrews Court Care Home

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.

The provider now had systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service.

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 user guide clearly outlined the service’s aims and objectives, which included freedom from discrimination, respect, and independence.

People and relatives praised the registered manager’s leadership and the culture of person-centred care. One person said, “I am very lucky to be ending my days here.”

One relative told us, “It is a home, not just a care home.”

Staff told us the management team spent time gaining their views and was committed to delivering the best service possible. One staff member told us, “I love working with [registered manager]. They are always willing to listen. They make you feel comfortable and help us out.”

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.

All the staff we spoke with felt supported by the management team. They felt the management team were visible, available, and modelled positive, nurturing behaviours. One relative told us, “[Registered manager] is always interacting and helping the residents.”

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

The provider had a whistleblowing policy which staff had access to. Staff told us they knew how to make complaints and raise concerns. They could report concerns in 1 to 1 meetings and felt the registered manager had an open-door policy. They felt comfortable sharing any concerns with the registered manager who listened and acted on feedback.

The provider had formal processes to investigate concerns effectively and confidentially.

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.

There were appropriate policies to support workforce equality and diversity. Staff told us they felt valued and were confident the registered manager and provider promoted inclusion and equity. They said they had opportunities to share ideas for improving outcomes for people within group and one to one meetings.

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.

Managers completed daily walkarounds of the building to check the standards of care. This included, gaining feedback from people and visitors, the safety and cleanliness of the environment, people’s dining experience and staff wellbeing.

Fire, gas, electrical and water safety checks were carried out in line with guidance. Audits and checks carried out on the environment and equipment used to support people with their care were effective and issues identified were resolved quickly.

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.

Management and staff worked closely with relatives, health and social care agencies, the local authorities and CQC to drive improvement and meet people’s needs. One regular visitor told us, “Managers are approachable, they run a tight ship, staff are lovely, very good values, the culture is good. I am giving them 10 out of 10.” A second health professional fed back, ‘[Management team] actively engage with training opportunities that we provide for care staff.’

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation. 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 had installed smart lamps in some bedrooms to monitor people’s safety and wellbeing. The lamps could alert staff if people got out of bed or fell and the motion sensor lighting could prevent disorientation, trips and falls .

Staff and relatives spoke of their confidence in the registered manager and management team and the improvements in the service since the registered manager had been appointed. One relative told us, “[Registered manager] She is doing a good job and she is very friendly.”

The management team put in place an action plan straight away to ensure feedback from the inspection led to improved practice.