Blair 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 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 clear shared direction and culture where staff understood the service values and worked in a person-centred way. The values were built around helping people live their life through a focus on putting people first and maintaining a positive and honest approach. Staff said they could seek guidance and raise concerns when needed. Supervisions supported consistent practice and helped staff reflect on how to uphold the values in daily care, and information about expectations was communicated clearly so care was delivered in line with the service’s vision.

Managers had the skills and knowledge to manage the service effectively and promoted an open and supportive culture. Staff told us managers were approachable and supportive and they felt able to seek guidance when needed. Managers led by example and maintained visibility within the service which helped staff feel confident to raise concerns. Relatives described positive relationships with leaders. One relative told us, “I have a good relationship with the manager, we have a chat every time I visit. The management is always available if I need them.” Supervisions and ongoing support helped staff reflect on their practice and understand expectations. Managers communicated information clearly which helped maintain consistent person-centred care in line with the service’s values.

There was a positive speaking up culture where staff felt able to raise concerns and be listened to. Staff told us managers were approachable and supportive, and they felt confident to speak up when they needed to. The provider had a freedom to speak up framework with a network of champions to ensure staff felt comfortable raising concerns. Managers promoted openness and acted on feedback, helping to maintain a culture where issues could be identified early and used to improve the service.

Managers promoted an inclusive culture where staff were treated fairly and supported to raise issues that affected their wellbeing or working conditions. Managers told us there was an equality, diversity and inclusion network in place where staff received information to support equality and inclusion, such as guidance around menopause and support for colleagues who were fasting during Ramadan. Reasonable adjustments were made when needed and staff could raise issues so these could be addressed. Regular meetings, including staff meetings and nurse meetings, gave staff opportunities to share views and discuss any concerns. Managers were described as supportive and maintained communication with staff to ensure they were aware of key updates and equality related information.

There were clear governance arrangements and managers had effective systems to oversee quality, safety and performance. Roles and responsibilities were understood and staff knew who to go to for guidance. Managers monitored risks and performance through audits and checks and took action when shortfalls were identified. Information was shared with staff through regular meetings and updates so everyone was aware of expectations and any changes. Systems were in place to ensure required notifications were submitted and records were stored securely. Workforce planning processes supported ongoing sustainability, and business continuity arrangements ensured the service could respond to unforeseen events.

The service worked with external professionals when needed, but wider links within the local community were limited. Staff contacted other services when people required additional support and information was shared to help coordinate care. Managers had a small number of community connections, including the local church, which people could access. Wider community involvement was not well developed, although the service maintained positive relationships with families and external professionals to support joined up care.

Managers supported a culture of continuous learning and improvement and encouraged new ideas to enhance people’s experiences. The service worked with local universities and colleges to offer student placements, which brought fresh perspectives and supported ongoing development within the staff team. Managers told us the placements provided opportunities for staff to reflect on practice and learn from others, and people benefited from the additional interaction and variety. Managers acted on feedback to make improvements and maintained systems for reviewing concerns and incidents so learning could be shared and embedded.