Green Park 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 good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement

The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to good governance.

This service scored 62 (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 manager had made changes to the service since starting in post and feedback from staff was positive. The vision of the service was promoted through supervisions, team meeting, briefings and training. A member of staff commented, “The culture and atmosphere is great here, the new manager has made positive changes.” Another staff member stated, “Orchard is a great company to work for.”

We observed a friendly and caring atmosphere. Relatives spoken with confirmed the culture of the provider and staff was good. One relative said, “I couldn’t have asked for a nicer place, staff are well trained and wonderful, they treat [relative] like a family member and so much compassion they are just lovely.”

The manager described how they promoted equality and diversity within the staff team. A recent example included adapted menus as part of a world culinary challenge where meals were served from a different country for one day per week, supporting learning of cultures and cuisines from around the world.

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 manager had made changes to the service since starting in post in June. This included new coaching sessions to support staff learning, support for clinical leads, changes to activities, external trips out, and recruitment drives.

Staff felt confident to speak to management, share ideas and feedback. One staff member stated, “We get asked for feedback, we are listened to and encouraged to speak up.” Relatives shared positive feedback, one relative stated, “Yes the new manager has made positive changes already, new uniforms and we now have a board up as you come in with the nurses on duty that day which is good, it would be good if they had a picture board with care staff so we knew who was who, but she has only been in a few weeks and seems positive.”

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

Staff confirmed they were confident and encouraged to speak up and raise any concerns. A member of staff stated, “I have completed whistleblowing training and would report any concerns as we are here for the residents.”

The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place and staff confirmed this was accessible to them. Safeguarding was discussed in staff meetings and staff had the opportunity to share their views. People and relatives’ meetings took place and surveys, and feedback forms were utilised to capture feedback.

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.

The provider had an equality and diversity policy in place that promoted an inclusive culture. Significant and religious events were celebrated in the service for example, Diwali and Ramadan. Staff reported being treated fairly and equally. Adaptions and reasonable adjustments were in place where required to support staff in their roles.

Staff had undertaken equality and diversity training. Feedback from staff indicated they were treated fairly, and the manager adopted a fair and inclusive approach.

The provider had systems and processes in place to manage the quality of the service. However, some of the systems in place had not identified concerns found during this assessment with regards to records, medications and IPC.

Audits were completed by the director of operations, regional manager, manager and various staff members which included action plans if there were areas of improvement identified. The manager was open regarding changes needed to care plans and the PCS system. The manager had made significant changes since starting in post and acted on the findings of the assessment. Further time was needed to embed and make the improvements identified.

Systems were in place for the support and development of staff at all levels. A comprehensive induction was in place for managers as well as ongoing support and learning. Away days for managers was in place to meet with other managers within the organisation to learn and share good practice.

The manager understood their responsibilities in relation to their regulatory requirements around notifiable incidents. Emergency procedures and policies were in place including business continuity plans to ensure preparedness for all events.

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 manager worked openly with health and social care partners. Partnership working and collaboration with other professionals was evident. This included the Enhanced Care Home Support Team, Local Authority team and Later Life Memory team. A visiting professional confirmed, “The managers input was very good and was committed to making ongoing improvements.”

Systems to share information were good. Staff confirmed communication from management and leaders was effective. Meetings were in place for manager and leaders of the service. Relatives told us there was a real sense of family in the home. People’s views of the service were sought through residents’ meetings and surveys.

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 provider had developed to become a whole dementia care home, supporting people with advanced and complex dementia care needs. This enabled people whose needs had changed to remain living within the service and have continuity of care. We observed a person whose needs had changed be assessed to move to the ‘reconnect unit’. A unit to support people with advanced and complex needs with a diagnosis of Dementia. This transition within the service prevented the need for admission to hospital or discharge to another community setting.

The provider continued to develop as a whole dementia service with the implementation of ‘Our Dementia Promise’ strategy which aimed to remove conscious and unconscious stigma associated with dementia and improve the lives of people living with dementia. Staff spoken with described how much learning they had received regarding the varying types of dementia, one staff member stated, “Working in care has opened doors for me, I have learnt so much about the different types of dementia here, we are very responsive to people’s needs.”

The communal spaces within the service catered to people’s differing needs and enabled independent or group led activities. Spaces such as the tearoom, laundry room, therapy room and workshop provoked positive memories for people and comfortable environments. Relatives spoke positively about these areas and the range of activities on offer.

The provider participated in regular fund-raising events for dementia charities including ‘The Alzheimer’s Society’. Recent events included a cake sale and a sponsored walk, with participation from staff within all departments of the service.