Aspect 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 71 (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 management team supported an open culture and had created a strong team ethos which was effectively communicated to both people and staff through supervisions, meetings, and service user guides.

Staff spoke positively about the culture within the team. One staff member told us "I feel like [Director of services] did a good job putting this staff team together. We all have a good work ethic."

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.

There was a dedicated, stable management team in place supported by the provider. Relatives had a high level of confidence in the registered manager and deputy manager. One relative described them as ‘amazing’ and told us Aspect House was a ‘very well-run home’.

Staff were complimentary of the management team and described them as approachable. One staff member told us, “[Registered manager] is so good.” Another staff member told us, “I always get support from my manager.”

Both the registered manager and the director of services explained the importance of having an ‘open door policy’.

The registered manager told us they felt supported in their role by the provider.

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

Staff felt confident to raise any issues or concerns with the management team if needed and were aware of the whistleblowing procedure. There were also opportunities for staff to give feedback through questionnaires and team meetings. Comments from staff members included, “[Registered manager] is very approachable. I can 100% approach them with any concerns," and “We can raise concerns at staff meetings. They will ask us at the end if there is anything we want to say. If a complaint is made action is taken. Personally, I've had no issues."

Policies encouraged staff to raise concerns with their line manager, as well as offering both anonymous reporting options and guidance on contacting external agencies.

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 provider had recruited a diverse staff team, and staff told us they felt included in decisions about the service and enjoyed working for the provider. Staff were able to request reasonable adjustments in the workplace if needed.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance in place. However, these were not always used effectively to oversee and drive the delivery of good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support.

A range of systems and processes were in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service and were mostly effective. However, water temperature checks had not identified that the water temperature was unsafe.

The registered manager demonstrated an understanding of the regulations and their regulatory responsibilities, such as submitting statutory notifications. However, on inspection we identified that the registered manager had failed to notify us of the outcome of an application to deprive a person of their liberty, which is a legal requirement to help CQC monitor safety and legality of care.

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 were supported to attend healthcare appointments, including visits to opticians and chiropodists and care records showed that staff worked in partnership with healthcare professionals to ensure the best outcomes for individuals’ health and wellbeing.

The registered manager provided an example of how they had engaged with another organisation to access training, enabling them to better support residents.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system.

Staff performance was routinely reviewed in order to identify learning opportunities and adapt practice. Staff were keen to upskill themselves so they could provide high-quality care and support to residents. One staff member told us, “I'm trying to concentrate on medications, learn more about what they are and what they are for."

Throughout the inspection the registered manager was open to feedback and prompt action was taken to address any issues raised.