London Borough of Hillingdon

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. The last rating for this key question was 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.

There was a positive culture which ensured people received person-centred care. People using the service were happy, relaxed and had good relationships with each other and staff. People were happy to show us their home and showed a pride in this. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service. They demonstrated a commitment and genuine fondness for the people who they were supporting. Comments from staff included, “I wanted to work here because I love interacting with the residents”, “I love that I can communicate with [people]”, “Teamwork here is fantastic” and “It is like a family here.”

Relatives felt the service had a good culture. They named individual staff who they said were ‘’amazing’’ and went ‘’above and beyond’’ what was expected. Other comments from relatives included, “I have nothing bad to say about the place” and “The staff have a good rapport with our whole family, not just the residents.”

The registered manager told us the provider had systems to identify and address any ‘closed cultures.’ There were regular reviews and monitoring of the service by other managers within the organisation. There was good communication from senior leaders to share best practice and to enable staff to voice their ideas.

The provider employed capable and inclusive leaders. The registered manager was suitably qualified and experienced. An operations manager oversaw the daily running of the service. There were systems to share information and ensure appropriate levels of scrutiny. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and the organisation. Staff explained there was an open and transparent approach, and they felt able to share information and concerns. The provider supported staff to develop within the organisation into management roles and offered a range of management training, mentorship and peer support.

The provider had systems for staff to speak up and raise concerns. Staff told us they felt able to do this and were listened to. Staff told us they felt able to approach senior managers or raise concerns externally if needed.

The provider supported workforce equality, diversity and inclusion. They had an ‘equality in employment’ policy which considered the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and ensured staff were not unlawfully discriminated against. The provider monitored pay and promotions to ensure staff with diverse needs were treated equitably. Staff told us they were fairly treated.

There were effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service. These included regular checks and audits by staff and managers. The provider also established peer reviews of the services by other registered managers. They carried out a thorough audit and set actions for improvements.

There were a range of policies and procedures which reflected good practice and legislation. Staff were familiar with these.

The provider asked stakeholders for feedback about their experiences. When things went wrong, there were plans to show the action the provider took to resolve issues.

Staff worked in partnership with others to make sure people’s needs were met. They had regular contact with social and healthcare professionals to discuss people’s wellbeing and the support they required.

Staff also worked with others within the organisation to share good practice. This included updates from senior leaders and reviews of the work they were undertaking.

The provider promoted a learning culture. Staff undertook regular training and discussed best practice during team and individual meetings with their manager. The provider had introduced new initiatives to help improve staff communication. This included improved use of technology, for example trialling electronic record keeping and providing staff with their own laptops.

The provider was proactive when things went wrong, learning from audits and feedback from stakeholders. During our assessment, we discussed areas where improvements could be made. The registered manager reflected on these and developed a service improvement plan with timescales for implementing changes and improvements.

The registered manager was familiar with changes in legislation and good practice guidance and could demonstrate how they were making improvements in line with ‘Right support, right care, right culture’.