Barton Court

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.
Staff were consistent in their understanding that providing person-centred care was the focus of the service. Staff spoke proudly about the service and told us, “It’s like a family here, we all work well with each other and support each other.”
There was a positive and open culture, staff described feeling included and said their ideas were listened to. They have a detailed handover between changes in staff between shifts. Staff told us, “Handovers are so detailed. We are able to raise concerns to each other so we can all keep an eye on things, as well as update what has happened in the shift.”
 

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 knowledgeable about people’s individual needs and had a good awareness of the current issues for people. They had worked at Barton Court for many years initially as a carer and then progressed through different roles until successfully becoming the registered manager of the service.
Staff told us the management team was visible and led by example. Staff felt confident about their leadership to ensure the overall running of the service. Staff told us they felt supported as the registered manager knew the challenges they face and told us the management team helps with everything.

Relatives told us they felt able to raise concerns or complaints to the registered manager when needed and felt confident that action would be taken. One relative highlighted a concern they had previously. They were very complimentary of how the registered manager acted, how they were kept informed and confirmed they were provided an outcome of the registered managers investigation. They were reassured by this and happy with the action taken.

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

Staff described feeling well supported and said they were able to raise any issues or concerns and had confidence that appropriate actions would be taken.
 

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 workforce and promoted a fair and equitable culture. Staff told us they were treated fairly and felt valued by the management.

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.

Systems for monitoring risks were not always effective. Some service audits in place during inspection had not identified the shortfalls found during inspection. The registered manager had placed a lot of pressure on themselves to complete audits of the whole service themselves. We discussed this with them during our feedback. Following the site visit the registered manager and provider informed us they have redesigned the quality assurance checklist and will be fully embedding this over coming weeks.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities, and the registered manager was clear about their regulatory responsibilities.

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 relatives confirmed their loved one’s needs were met by staff in partnership with relevant health and social care professionals.

People and their relatives described how staff involved them in planning care and support. One person’s relative said,“I have been involved in each review of [person]. The staff tell me everything, if they are unwell, if a GP has been called etc. This is what I want. It’s reassuring.”

The service was open, honest, and transparent with people when things went wrong. The management team recognised their responsibilities under the duty of candour requirements and followed the service’s policies and procedures to alert local safeguarding teams or the CQC regarding notifiable safety events which had occurred.

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 registered manager told us they were part of a group of registered managers who regularly discussed practice issues and shared learning. They explained how this had been beneficial in developing improvements at the service. The registered manager worked with other services, including the local authority. They accessed best practice learning resources and kept up to date with changes in the social care system.