Appletree 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 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.

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 service 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. There was a positive atmosphere and culture in the care home which focused on effective care and support for people. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager, praising their supportive leadership, clear communication, and genuine commitment to both staff well-being and resident care. Multiple team members highlighted the manager's approachability and ability to create a positive, collaborative workplace environment

The service 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 good knowledge of every person who lived in the care home. It was clear they were kind and caring and went the extra mile to support people and staff on a personal level. Comments from people included, “We think that management and all staff are very eager to listen, they will implement quickly whatever we said, like about bell, then we reported her table broken, that was changed next day.”

Staff told us they felt well supported by the management. Comments included, “He’s always there for us, making sure we get the right training and feel supported,” and “The supervisors here are very approachable. - We're not just learning skills but understanding how to truly care for our residents.” Another staff member told us, “This isn't just a job, it's about making a real difference in people's lives."

The provider fostered a positive culture where staff felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Policies and processes were in place to support staff to speak up if they had concerns. Staff confirmed they were confident to speak up if they had concerns about the quality of care.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. Processes were in place which helped to protect the rights of staff under the Equality Act. This helped to create a more equitable and inclusive organisation.

The service also participated in a number of reward schemes for staff to ensure that staff felt appreciated and this encouraged a very low rate of staff turnover

The provider’s systems showed clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. The registered manager 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. Daily audits and checks were completed effectively by the management team. There was effective use of data to produce reports. This included analysis of information to review people’s care and identify themes, trends or areas for improvement. A family member told us, “They keep me in touch with any issues but there has been very few.”

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership with other professionals and people involved in people’s care, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated to ensure people received better outcomes. People had access to local clinical services to help ensure they had the right care to meet their needs.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local systems. 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. There were regular staff meetings where the registered manager provided feedback about care and support and where additional improvement and focus was required to ensure care was maintained at a good standard.

The registered manager engaged in a number of schemes with external partners to enhance learning and innovative practices. This included providing placements for trainee nurses as well as participation in London wide oral care initiatives and social care research