Amathea

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 82 (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 an understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The provider had a clear, shared vision between all the care homes, and this shared vision was evident when we inspected.

Discussions with the area manager and registered manager demonstrated that people and their families were central and at the core of the organisation. There was a commitment to ensuring the values of Methodist Homes (MHA) were evident in the day-to-day support and care staff gave to people.

Staff were supported in developing their own learning and knowledge, for example a staff member expressed an interest in understanding quality work had the opportunity to participate in quality meetings with the provider.

Regular management meetings were in place; both face to face and online with registered managers from other homes in the organisation. This enabled a supportive culture and also provided opportunities to share experiences, learning and information between homes.

The management team completed regular audits across the service and actions were implemented and signed off where appropriate. Any patterns or trends from these audits were shared within the wider staff team through regular staff meetings.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

All staff members we spoke with commented positively on the leadership of the management team, especially in relation to the registered manager. Staff described the management team as experienced, knowledgeable and supportive.

A staff member told us about the registered manager, “If I have any problems, (manager) will listen to us, (manager) will support us. When I first started, I was nervous and shy, (manager) really worked on my confidence. Another told us the manager was, “Amazing, I couldn't ask for a better manager, best manager I have had.”

Staff also told us about the management team addressing issues when they had been raised. One staff member told us, “I love working for the management team. Open door, very supportive and tries their best to sort things. (manager) will address things straight away. I have gone to (manager) about staff not doing their jobs right and this has been addressed.”

Staff also told us about the support they received from management when returning to work or during periods of ill health. A staff member told us, “(manager) did a phased return with me, I have health needs and (manager) is supporting me through this and adapting what I can do.”

Families told us they had confidence in the leadership and management of the service. One family member told us, “(manager) and their current team are the best I have seen at the home, so professional.” Another told us, “The main thing, though we are away and only get up sometimes, we know how well the place is run and it is very reassuring.”

The area manager undertook regular announced and unannounced visits to the home to ensure opportunities for discussion with people and staff were available. These visits supported staffs’ wellbeing. Staff told us they found these visits supportive, one staff member told us “The area manager is supportive, really helpful. Very good at their job.” Staff felt this demonstrated a commitment to the whole staff team’s wellbeing which then enabled them to feel supported in their role.

Professionals who visited the home regularly also felt confident in the management of the home. One professional told us, “I think the manager is great. If there was no staff around, I could ask the manager, they know everything about people's needs.” Another told us, “My working relationship with staff and management has always been a positive experience.”

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

Staff were confident in raising issues or concerns and told us they felt listened to. A staff member told us, “I’ve never seen any issues, if I saw something I would report it straight away.” Another told us, “If I see people without footplates, I would say something, I will always say something and raise it.” Another said, “Anything I raise, gets done.”

Staff were aware of the whistleblowing policy and procedure and told us they would feel confident in using it if necessary.

Staff could take part in regular surveys to enable them to provide feedback to the provider. Information, themes and trends were able to be pulled together from this information and actions taken where relevant.

We found evidence that the management team were responsive to issues raised by staff and quickly put action plans in place to reduce any further impact on people.

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 felt treated fairly and they valued the flexibility and adjustments which could be made when needed. For example, a member of staff’s absence rate reduced after managements understanding of outside work caring commitments. To address this, shifts were altered to fit in with their other responsibilities.

One staff member told us, “Never felt so welcomed. Here I don't get the feeling I'm far from home. I feel accepted. Residents also make me feel accepted. Staff are treated fairly.” Another told us, “I feel included. Staff are treated fairly.”

Work force wellbeing was valued. The area manager told us, “We work to adapt around staffs’ health needs when needed.”

The registered manager told us the provider felt strongly about being an inclusive employer. Signposting to specialised support groups was evident within the home and supported by the management team.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-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.

Information was consistently provided to external agencies when relevant and required.

The registered manager was clear on when and how to provide CQC notifications and undertook this as appropriate.

Contingency planning was evident and we found evidence of clear documentation and agreements from other agencies around emergency evacuation procedures.

Regular audits and checks were undertaken by the registered manager around safety, risks and standards of care. Findings from these audits were shared with staff through staff meetings and one to one discussion.

The registered manager had systems in place to support work force planning, these included the use of a dependency tool, access to staff training data and recruitment checks and records.

Systems were in place to manage staff performance, and we saw evidence of staff supervisions and disciplinary processes.

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.

Staf and the management team were aware of the responsibility to work in partnership with other agencies and to share information where necessary.

A professional told us, “They appear proactive in considering fundamental needs and applying knowledge of previous strategies to resolve any issues before referral.”

Another said, “The repositioning records are all good, as soon as they see any marks, they let us know.”

Staff supported people with maintaining contacts in the community by attending the local pub on a weekly basis if they wished, children from local schools were also supported to visit the home.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice.

Ongoing learning and improvement were important to the staff and management team. Feedback was welcomed and acted upon from people, their families, other professionals and staff.

Management oversight in relation to feedback and actions to be taken was strong. Lessons were continuously learnt and shared at a local level and also within the wider MHA organisation. Opportunities for staff growth and development were evident. For example, the deputy development programme which was available to senior members of staff.

Learning opportunities for staff were provided on a regular basis and reflected current concerns or issues. For example, in relation to staff maintaining regular good quality care plan documentation, a learning session was provided on coroner’s inquests and the information that may be asked for. Additionally, the homes safeguarding lead ran a bespoke training session because of learning from incidents.

The use of music therapy within the home on both a group and one to one basis made positive impacts on the lives of people who live there. Our observations of this on three occasions evidenced the significant impact this had for people.

The provider had also supported and supplied a book which was available for children called ‘Finding Nana’. The book enabled children to understand why a grandparent had moved into a care home setting. The book was available to any visitor to the home.