The Porthouse

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 provider’s strategic plan for 2026 highlighted the importance of effective leadership. It emphasised leadership capability as essential to delivering high-quality services, supported by a strong focus on management training and staff development. This ensured that the staff team were appropriately skilled, supported, and competent to carry out their roles effectively.

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.

Feedback from the family members and staff was consistently positive about the management of the service. One relative described the management as ‘excellent’ and responsive to feedback, while another highlighted that the team were ‘responsive, capable, and knowledgeable’. Staff also spoke highly of the leadership, describing managers as supportive, approachable, and always available when needed. One staff member commented that the service felt like a family, with close working relationships and strong management support.

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

Staff were provided with a whistleblowing policy that guided them on how to raise concerns anonymously within the organisation. The policy also encouraged staff to report concerns to external agencies where they felt issues had not been satisfactorily addressed through internal processes.

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.

Equality was identified as an important focus, with ongoing monitoring in place to ensure staff were not subject to discrimination in the workplace. This included providing equal access to training and development opportunities for all staff, with the provider supporting staff education to promote professional development and career progression.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.
Although the registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the service and its day-to-day operations, including completing regular audits and taking prompt action to drive improvements, the quality assurance processes in place were not consistently effective. This was evidenced by the provider’s failure to identify the concerns we found in relation to the application of the MCA in practice, specifically ensuring that people were lawfully supported in the decision-making process.

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 feedback was valued, and procedures had been adapted over time to meet individuals’ care needs. People were continually supported on an individual basis to make choices and communicate their wishes. This included support to complete feedback surveys, which were available in a pictorial and easy-to-understand format, with actions taken in response to the feedback received.

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.

There was ongoing monitoring of required improvements. Improvements had been made to documentation, and the layout of care plans had recently been revised to improve clarity and usability.