ARCH Winchester

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.

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 provider’s philosophy of care and goals were set out within their statement of purpose. They focused on seeing people as individuals with the potential to live as independently as possible. The service aimed to promote people’s rights to take control of their own lives and to integrate within their community.

There was a commitment to person centred care. The provider promoted a positive, compassionate and listening culture which fostered positive and trusting relationships between people and staff.

There were inclusive leaders 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 nominated individual, who was also the provider and the registered manager, led the service well. The registered manager had professional qualifications and extensive experience within mental health nursing. The registered manager oversaw the manager for the service, who had experience in both in working with the people the service supported and in managing supported living services.

The registered manager and the manager both had close day to day oversight of the service and were highly responsive to people’s and staff's needs. Staff told us they had clear roles and responsibilities and said they were well supported by both leaders, whom people and staff told us were visible and accessible.

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

Staff were aware of how to speak up about any concerns they had and had access to written guidance within the whistleblowing policy about how to do so. Staff told us they could speak up freely. Care staff could also raise issues through their supervisions, appraisals, care staff meetings or the annual care staff survey.

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.

They had relevant policies and practices to ensure applicants were not discriminated against.

Leaders supported the staff team in their work and ensured they were treated fairly and equitably. They recognised staff carried out a challenging role and ensured they had a good level of support at all times.

The provider ensured staff’s needs were identified and met, for example, in relation to their well-being or religion.

The provider had good governance, with clear responsibilities, roles, and systems of accountability. 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.

The provider monitored the quality of the service, identifying and acting upon potential areas for improvement. They audited aspects of the service, such as people’s finances where staff supported people to manage them, and medicines administration. They also reviewed incidents, safeguarding’s, complaints and people’s daily notes. They sought feedback on the quality of the service from people and staff.

The provider identified and assessed risks to people’s and staff's health, safety and welfare. The provider, registered manager and the manager worked closely together to constantly review information they held about people’s risks and welfare. They proactively addressed any emerging risks in co-operation with people, staff and other professionals.

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.

Leaders and staff worked openly and collaboratively with a range of organisations and professionals. They contributed to multi-disciplinary meetings about people to ensure information, risks and learning were shared.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people.

There was a strong sense of trust between the leadership and staff, who worked in partnership with each other and with people to make improvements and to establish greater stability for people. Leaders encouraged reflection, creativity and collective problem-solving with people and staff.

The provider understood national guidance and the context within which people were supported. For example, rates of diabetes and smoking are higher in people with some mental health diagnoses. Staff ensured people engaged with health care professionals, so their physical health was monitored. People were provided with information and support about how to live more healthily, in terms of their diet and smoking.