Rons Place

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 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 71 (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.

Staff consistently demonstrated a genuine commitment to ensuring people felt at home and part of a supportive, inclusive community. Across all levels of the organisation, staff spoke passionately about creating an environment where people felt valued, respected and able to live fulfilling lives. They described their aim as not only providing care, but also promoting a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing for each person they supported.

During our inspection, we observed staff who knew people exceptionally well and used this knowledge to deliver personalised, person-centred support. Staff took time to understand people's preferences, interests, routines and aspirations, ensuring care was tailored to their individual needs. People were regularly encouraged to express how they wished to live their lives and were actively involved in decisions about their care, support and home environment. The provider listened to and acted upon people's views, helping to ensure individuals had meaningful opportunities to influence and shape their daily lives.

Staff demonstrated a strong awareness of people's diverse needs, backgrounds, cultures and preferences. They adapted their approaches to ensure support was equitable, inclusive and responsive to individual circumstances. Through respectful engagement and personalised support, staff helped people access the same opportunities, participate in activities that were important to them and achieve positive experiences and outcomes. This person-centred and inclusive culture helped people feel valued, empowered and supported to live the lives they chose.

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.

Managers were approachable, visible and actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the service. Staff consistently told us they felt well supported and valued, and were confident in approaching managers for guidance, advice or to raise concerns. This open and supportive management approach contributed to a positive working culture where staff felt able to seek support and share feedback.

The management team demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining their knowledge of current legislation, best practice and developments within the health and social care sector. This commitment helped to ensure the service remained responsive to changing requirements and focused on delivering high-quality, person-centred care.

Managers displayed a clear understanding of regulatory expectations and their responsibilities in relation to service oversight, quality assurance and governance. This was reflected in the effective day-to-day management of the service, regular monitoring of care provision and a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for improvement. Their leadership promoted a culture of accountability, learning and continuous development, helping to ensure people received safe, effective and compassionate support.

Staff told us they had confidence in the leadership team and felt managers had a strong understanding of the complexities, responsibilities and challenges associated with their roles. They said managers were approachable, supportive and willing to provide practical assistance when needed. Staff explained that managers would work alongside the team and provide direct support with care delivery where appropriate and within the scope of their skills and responsibilities.

The service promoted a positive culture of learning and development, where staff were encouraged to enhance their skills and progress within their roles. Managers actively supported professional development and worked with staff to identify training and development opportunities aligned with their career aspirations and the needs of the service.

Staff consistently told us they felt comfortable approaching senior staff and managers for advice, guidance or support. They described an open and supportive culture where communication was encouraged and concerns could be raised without hesitation. This helped create a positive working environment where staff felt valued, listened to and empowered to contribute to the ongoing development of the service.

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

The provider fostered a highly open, transparent and inclusive culture where people, staff and visitors were encouraged to share feedback, raise concerns and contribute to service improvement. A comprehensive raising concerns, freedom to speak up and whistleblowing policy was in place, supported by a dedicated freedom to speak up guardian who provided an additional avenue of support for staff who wished to raise concerns or seek advice.

The registered manager maintained an open-door approach and promoted a culture were speaking up was encouraged and valued. To further improve accessibility and engagement, the provider had introduced an innovative QR code system that enabled staff, people using the service and visitors to easily submit compliments, concerns, complaints or whistleblowing reports. This demonstrated a proactive commitment to creating multiple opportunities for feedback and ensuring concerns could be raised in a way that suited individual preferences.

Staff were familiar with the whistleblowing policy and understood the processes for raising concerns both within the service and externally where required. The policy included clear reporting pathways and details of external organisations, including the Care Quality Commission (CQC), should staff feel unable to raise concerns internally. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of their responsibilities and explained how they would follow the appropriate procedures if they identified poor practice or had concerns about people's safety or wellbeing.

Feedback from staff reflected a positive and supportive culture in which individuals felt confident to speak openly. Staff consistently told us they would not hesitate to raise concerns and believed they would be listened to and taken seriously. A staff member said, “I feel free to speak up; I would have no issues raising any concerns.”

The provider's approach promoted openness, accountability and continuous improvement. Staff told us they felt safe, respected and supported to share their views, challenge poor practice where necessary and contribute to the ongoing development of the service. This helped to create a culture where concerns were addressed promptly, learning was encouraged and the quality and safety of care remained a key focus.

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 told us they were treated fairly and consistently across the service and described the workplace as welcoming, inclusive and supportive. They said diversity was recognised, respected and valued, and that managers were responsive to individual circumstances and wellbeing needs. Where required, reasonable adjustments were made to enable staff to perform their roles effectively and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Theprovider demonstrated a proactive approach to supporting staff wellbeing and was able to provide examples of adjustments made in response to individual needs. This included offering flexible working arrangements and reducing working days or hours where appropriate to support staff health, wellbeing, and work-life balance. Annual health and wellbeing questionnaires, alongside regular discussions with managers, helped identify where additional support or reasonable adjustments may be required. Any agreed adjustments were recorded and monitored to ensure staff continued to receive appropriate support.

Managers had implemented a range of policies and procedures designed to support staff wellbeing, equality and inclusion. Information about local support services and sources of advice was available to staff when needed, helping to create a supportive working environment where individuals felt valued and cared for.

The service also operated inclusive recruitment practices and a flexible working policy, helping to attract and retain a diverse workforce. Staff records and supervision documentation reflected a team with varied backgrounds, experiences and skills. Staff spoke positively about working within an inclusive team culture, and there was no evidence of concerns relating to discrimination, inequality or unfair treatment. This demonstrated the provider's commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion for both staff and the people they supported.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability. The provides governance required improvements. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

The service had established governance and quality assurance systems to monitor the safety and quality of care provided. A programme of regular audits and checks was in place to support oversight and identify opportunities for improvement. These arrangements helped promote safe and effective care; however, some areas required further strengthening.

We identified opportunities to improve the oversight of care records to ensure care plans were consistently reviewed and updated to reflect people's current needs, preferences and outcomes. While staff demonstrated an excellent understanding of people's changing needs and were providing care in line with those needs, this was not always reflected within the written records. In addition, care documentation did not always evidence that formal care plan reviews had been completed, and training records showed some staff training had expired and required updating.

We discussed these findings with the registered manager and nominated individual, who responded positively to the feedback and demonstrated a commitment to improvement. They acknowledged the areas identified and confirmed they would strengthen governance, auditing and monitoring processes to ensure records remained accurate, up to date and subject to effective oversight.

Following the inspection, the provider submitted evidence demonstrating that action had already commenced. This included reviewing and updating care records, strengthening quality assurance processes and enhancing audit arrangements to improve accountability and oversight. In addition, the nominated individual outlined plans to take a greater role in governance and service development, providing further capacity to drive continuous improvement and maintain high standards of care.

Information was managed securely and handled in accordance with data protection and GDPR requirements. Systems were in place to protect confidentiality and ensure personal information was stored, shared and accessed appropriately.

The provider also maintained comprehensive business continuity and contingency plans. These outlined the actions to be taken in the event of emergencies, unforeseen incidents or service disruption, helping to ensure people continued to receive safe and consistent support during unexpected events. The management team demonstrated a commitment to learning, continuous improvement and developing governance systems that support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

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.

Managers and staff demonstrated strong and effective partnership working with a wide range of health and social care professionals to ensure people received coordinated, safe and high-quality care. The service worked collaboratively with GPs, social workers, district nurses, therapists and specialist healthcare teams, ensuring professional advice and recommendations were incorporated into people's support plans and acted upon appropriately.

Partnership working was well established and helped ensure people's health, wellbeing and support needs were monitored and responded to effectively. Staff maintained regular contact with healthcare professionals and specialist services, enabling people to access timely assessments, treatment and interventions when required. This collaborative approach supported continuity of care and helped ensure people received responsive, person-centred support.

The provider had also developed positive links with local community organisations and services. These connections enabled people to access a range of opportunities, activities and resources that promoted independence, community involvement, social inclusion and overall wellbeing. Through effective partnership working, people were supported to maintain meaningful lifestyles, access specialist support and achieve positive outcomes that reflected their individual goals and aspirations.

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 demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility, sustainability and community engagement beyond the direct delivery of care. The organisation had participated in the Aston University Green Project (Business Energy Advice Service Standard Energy Assessment), reflecting its proactive approach to reducing energy consumption and minimising its environmental impact. Following the assessment, the provider agreed to develop and implement an action plan focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. The plan prioritised practical no-cost and low-cost improvements where possible, while also considering longer-term initiatives that may require investment. It was designed to address key findings from the assessment while ensuring wider opportunities for sustainability and environmental improvement were not overlooked. The provider also explored available sources of support to assist with the implementation of identified actions.

The service demonstrated a commitment to supporting the wider community and developing the future health and social care workforce. For example, the provider had recently worked in partnership with The King's Trust to support the recruitment and development of young people interested in careers within the care sector. This initiative provided opportunities for young people to gain insight into health and social care roles while helping to promote the sector as a rewarding career choice.

These initiatives reflected a provider that was committed not only to delivering high-quality care but also to contributing positively to the local community, supporting workforce development and promoting sustainable practices.