Woodstock Care Home Limited

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.

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.

The registered manager told us they worked hard to make sure people were consistently provided with good quality care and made sure staff were properly trained to fully meet people’s needs.

Staff expressed values of being caring and delivering person-centred care. A member of staff told us, I can’t pin-point one thing that is the best about working at Woodstock, it’s a combination of things. The team all work together very well and are all so friendly and helpful. We all work together to ensure that the residents are at the centre of everything we do. The manager is very supportive and helpful with a door that is always open for the staff, residents and their families. I really enjoy my work and think that Woodstock is a really good home. If it wasn't I wouldn't work there.”

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.

The registered manager was experienced and knowledgeable about their responsibilities. They also understood, and worked hard to ensure compliance with, the legal regulations.

The registered manager told us they strived to run a high-quality service for people living and working in the home. They also told us they felt very well supported in their role.

Staff, people living in the home and their representatives were very complimentary about the registered manager, management team and the ethos of the whole service. Staff said they felt well supported.

A member of staff told us, “I think my manager is firm but fair and is always willing to help when needed in any area. I feel the manager has made huge strides in getting the home back to a great place. I think the sign of a good home is happy residents and I like to believe ours are exactly that.”

People and relatives told us the management team was approachable, and they could speak to them when they wished to. People’s representatives made comments such as, “Very nice and approachable and we have a good rapport with each other.” And “She is available, approachable and nice.”

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

The registered manager and management team promoted a culture of being open and honest. Staff told us they were encouraged to speak up if they had any concerns and felt comfortable doing so.

A member of staff told us, “We have care staff meetings, senior meeting and resident meetings every month. We also have daily huddles, which are quick rapid meetings, every day so if any problems arise, they can also be sorted and staff know what’s going on in the home.”

Another member of staff said, “We have regular day to day hand overs, where problems can be brought up, this also happens in huddles too.”

The service had effective systems and processes to help ensure people knew how and felt confident to speak up, raise concerns and whistle-blow, without fear of retribution.

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.

The management team listened to feedback from staff through various channels such as quality surveys and team meetings. This ensured the management team and provider promoted an inclusive and fair culture throughout the service.

Staff told us they felt supported to develop their skills and knowledge and were offered training to help with career development. Staff also told us they felt the culture of the organisation was fair and open. A member of staff told us, “Personally, I think Woodstock has given me so much support. My shadow shifts were great and taught me extremely well how to do my job. Since being at Woodstock, I have learnt so many things, seen so many experiences and my communication skills have got significantly better.”

Staff also told us they were happy with their rotas and were able to maintain a good work life balance. A member of staff said, “I really love how flexible my shifts are and how easy it is to change them if I would like to.”

The provider 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 acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Senior staff and management carried out regular audits and checks to help make sure a good service was consistently provided and ensure people’s safety. Audits covered areas such as medicines, health and safety, accidents and incidents, infection control and care plans. Regular safety checks and audits were also carried out for the environment and equipment. We saw that actions were identified as a result of the audits and reviews were carried out to make sure the required actions were implemented and embedded.

A member of staff told us, “We have random checks. [Manager] will just walk round now and again to see if everything is ok and running right and make sure everyone is doing what they are meant to be doing. This is also checked through regular audits.”

All the staff we spoke with told us they felt the service was well managed and said the management team were very approachable and supportive.

People and their representatives also told us they felt the service was well-led. A person’s representative told us, “Very well-led and I like to be informed about events and be included in [Name]’s reviews etc.” People also told us they would recommend the home as a place to live. A representative explained, “Because it is small and only has 28 residents, it is more personal than a larger home, so staff have more time to interact with residents.”

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.

People’s care and support plans demonstrated that people were referred to appropriate healthcare professionals when needed. Information and guidance from external healthcare professionals was shared with care staff to help ensure consistency in providing care and support.

The service encouraged partnership working. Staff supported people to attend health appointments and supported them with reviews of their care.

The registered manager promoted visitors coming to the home without prior arrangement.

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 service had effective systems and processes to help ensure that lessons were learnt when things went wrong. Appropriate action was taken to ensure improvements were made and maintained.

The management team also encouraged staff members to develop by supporting them with opportunities to further their skills and training.

Staff told us that if things went wrong, the issues were discussed during team meetings and individual support and supervisions. For example, a member of staff told us, “Information is usually shared in different ways. It can be shared by shift-to-shift updates, written reports in the person's care notes or incident logs. There are supervision or training sessions if changes are needed and team meetings. Then staff have to review and reflect on what happened during a meeting or investigation. Staff can also learn from Training and coaching.” Another member of staff said, “We have a daily huddle meeting where all staff get together and discuss any issues or concerns that they may have.”