Highbury Residential 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

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 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 registered manager had introduced a new set of values within the service. These were displayed throughout the home and embedded in the systems and processes used across the service. Staff frequently referred to positive teamwork and there was a clear set of values focusing on supporting people as individuals and maintaining a focus on delivering good care. Comments from staff included, “There is a positive family culture here. We all help each other to make sure we are all doing the right thing.”

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.

Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and supportive. They described how the registered manager worked alongside them providing care and support when needed. An external professional told us, “The new management team has turned this place around, it seems to be managed very well. They are considerably better and much more responsive than a few years ago. I regularly see the managers giving feedback and updating the staff to ensure they follow my recommendations”

Relatives also confirmed the registered manager was available and shared relevant information with them regularly. Comments included, “Yes, the registered manager is easily accessible. We get on very well, I can tell her anything or ask her anything” and “They’re very good at communicating and they don’t hide away in the office either. We get emails from them, and they call every week after the ward round. If I have a query or need to ask anything, they get back to me.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff told us they were able to voice their opinions and make suggestions in staff meetings and supervisions and directly with the registered manager. People were comfortable sharing their views and opinions with staff, and these were respected and listened to.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them. The registered manager told us how they had supported staff from overseas to help their transition to a different culture. Staff told us their diversity and culture was respected within a culture of positive teamworking. One staff member told us, “The manager is supportive and understanding. During Ramadan we can change from day shift to night shifts at times to make it easier for us to work long shifts.”

We observed a domestic staff member working with headphones on. The registered manager confirmed that this was an agreed reasonable adjustment for the staff member. The headphones were a coping strategy, it helped with their anxiety and enabled them to stay in work. This did not affect communication with people living at the service, as the staff member regularly removed them to interact with people in communal areas.

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.

There was a clear structure, policies and procedures embedded within the service. Managers and staff understood their roles and responsibilities to ensure people received good, safe care. Staff praised the registered manager as being committed, approachable, accountable and supportive.

There was governance systems and processes in place to evidence good quality assurance and effective management oversight. These were regularly reviewed by the management team, to learn from and drive sustained improvements.

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 worked closely with external agencies and the local community to ensure people could access the services they needed and had equal access to facilities and opportunities in the local community.

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 registered manager kept up to date with best practice through research and attending relevant forums provided by the Local Authority. For example, the registered manager had expanded relevant training for staff teams to meet the requirements and needs of people living at the service and improving dementia friendly environments to reduce falls. They shared this information with staff.

The registered manager had recently reviewed the sustainability of the service and made improvements to the functions of the home ensuring the effective use of energy and decreasing their waste to contribute to a greener more sustainable running of the service.