Northfield House

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 79 (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. Processes were in place to promote equality and diversity for people the provider supported and the staff team. The registered manager told us, “Our organisational values are being brave, having fun, valuing everyone and making things happen. We discuss these in team meetings. During the recruitment process, at the interview stage we always ask which values a candidate would bring to the service.”

The service 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 relatives provided examples of the positive and caring approach of the registered manager. A relative told us, “The registered manager ensures staff speak to my relative as an adult and makes sure staff support them to maintain their independence and not do things for them which they can do for themself.” All staff members spoke highly of the registered manager. A staff member told us, “The registered manager is proactive in identifying and managing risks. They hold regular reviews, involve staff in safety planning, and respond quickly to concerns raised. They are present daily, they check in with staff and people and are always open to feedback.” We observed the registered manager to be supportive to both people and staff and highly motivated to ensure the people living in the home were living their best lives.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff had access to regular supervision and support from leaders, promoting staff empowerment and involvement in the service. Staff members told us the registered manager had an open door policy and there were equal opportunities for all. People living in the home were asked for their views in a variety of formats throughout the year, these included in meetings with their keyworkers, house meetings and through surveys. Action plans were devised from these meetings and survey’s and were shared with people. Updates on action plans were provided in monthly newsletters. This meant people’s views were listened to and drove improvement.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. People with protected characteristics felt supported. A staff member told us, “The provider holds regular staff surveys, meetings, and recognition awards to engage with us. Policies are accessible. We have an open culture of inclusion.”

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Staff and the management team understood the importance of reporting any changes to people’s wellbeing. They kept detailed records of the support people had received. There were effective governance processes in place to monitor and improve the service. Where audits identified shortfalls, any actions were implemented and reviewed. There were security measures in place to ensure all electronic information was stored safely and securely. The provider submitted information to partner agencies when required.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. Relatives, staff, and the registered manager shared with us positive examples of collaborative working in partnership. The registered manager told us, “In our managers meeting, we discussed a home under another provider which CQC had rated inadequate. Learning was taken from the report and shared across our wider organisation.”

The service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. People and their relatives told us they felt the service listened to them and responded to any concerns they had. Staff knew what incidents to report and how to report them. The service investigated incidents thoroughly and shared outcomes with people, relatives and professionals. We saw evidence of change as a result of incidents which had occurred. The registered manager told us they received safety alerts from the government, local authority and CQC which informed them of upcoming risks along with themes and trends to ensure the provider could take appropriate action to mitigate these risks.