Ridgway Court

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.

People and their relatives told us there was a positive culture and atmosphere at the service. One person said, “I’m very happy here. I made my own decision. It was definitely the right decision. I’m very comfortable here.” A relative told us, “I can't put into words strong enough how brilliant they are and how good they've been to me and my mum.”

Staff understood the vision for the service and the importance of transparency. They told us there was a positive culture, and they demonstrated an understanding of the challenges people faced. One member of staff said, “The atmosphere is good. We have lots of time to speak to the residents. We give them so much time. Everyone is so polite here.”

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.

People and their relatives told us they knew who the registered manager was and that the service was managed by capable, transparent and compassionate leaders. One person told us, “You can speak to [registered manager] on your own or there are once a month residents’ meetings. Whatever we bring up is dealt with quickly.” A relative told us, “I think the manager is good at her job. This is a well-run care home and the home is well maintained.”

Staff told us the service was managed by leaders who had the skills and experience to lead them effectively. A member of staff told us, “The manager listens. She listened to us when we struggled and she changed things. She explained how we can do better. She will come and check on me. It happens all the time.” Another member of staff said, “I feel confident to go to [registered manager] for anything.”

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

People, their relatives and staff told us they felt able to speak up if they had a concern, and that they found the registered manager approachable. The registered manager told us they operated an open door policy and feedback we received confirmed this. One person who used the service said, “[Registered manager] is very approachable.” A relative told us, “I think the manager is doing a great job. I think over the last 4 years I’ve had a few calls and messages just to check that everything is fine. Mum seems to enjoy the fact that the inspection was happening. I’m sure she would’ve said exactly what I said.” The registered manager told us they aimed to be easily approachable to everyone and that this was the culture they had fostered within the service. Feedback we received confirmed this. One member of staff said, “I wouldn’t hesitate [to speak up]. They’re approachable.”

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.

Staff had completed equality and diversity training and they understood their responsibilities towards people who used the service and colleagues. Staff told us there was an inclusive culture at the service and that they felt valued by the registered manager. One member of staff told us, “I’ve done equality and diversity training. We have to treat everyone fair. It’s so much team work here. The activities [staff] and the [registered] manager also come on the floor and help out. There’s a focus on team work.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and generally good governance across the service. 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 undertook various audits, such as in relation to medicines management, mattress checks, care plan reviews and health and safety checks. Where there were areas for improvement, they addressed these, for example where they identified that some breathing care plans were missing, this was actioned. We found the registered manager was motivated to make the improvements we identified during our assessment.

Staff told us there was a governance structure in place and they knew who to approach if they were unsure on how best to support people or other aspects of their role. One member of staff told us, “I would go to [registered manager] or [deputy manager] and I have done that already. They will say what we should be doing.”

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.

Partners told us the service worked well with them and took feedback on board. Staff effectively shared information with partners in healthcare and within the local community. The provider understood the importance of working collaboratively and we saw from care records that external partners had been involved in people’s care and staff communicated with them effectively. One partner told us, “The staff are always friendly, kind and helpful. I honestly would send my own parents there should the time come.” Another partner commented, “I have been working with Ridgway Court for a number of years and have always felt that the staff are very approachable and friendly, and they work well with me.”

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.

There was a culture of learning and improvement at the service. Staff discussed how to improve the service, they communicated these changes with each other and there were regular team meetings in order to improve the quality of care. One member of staff told us, “The manager tells us about any complaints and one by one asks us if we are happy. Changes like if we say we are very busy and can’t give people the time then we will review the needs.”

The registered manager told us they attended registered managers’ forums and monthly managers’ meetings with other care homes operated by the same provider to discuss good practice and what “issues they’ve been having”. Where we highlighted areas of improvement during this assessment, the registered manager was motivated to improve the service and provided us with evidence that the areas had been addressed.