Lady Dane Farmhouse

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 79 (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 told us, they felt included in decisions and changes within the home. The service had a newsletter every quarter for staff, people and relatives to be updated of any changes and upcoming events. The registered manager had arranged an assembly and invited other people from other services to join. They invited people who worked for the service and people got to ask them any questions they wanted.

The home held next of kin hub meetings to include relatives in improvement and fundraising ideas for the home.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. The registered manager worked tirelessly to create equal and new opportunities for people living in the home. The registered manager understood people’s complex needs and had in-depth knowledge about everyone living at the home. They ensured all care was personalised to each person and drove positive outcomes for people. Staff spoke highly of the management team and the leadership. Staff felt the home was inclusive and fair. Staff told us they could approach the management team any time and were always supported.

The management team ensured that the culture of the home was strong and inclusive. The management team gathered regular feedback from staff. There was an open-door policy. The managers attended manager conferences and forums. The managers had ongoing training, so they had the most up to date and in-depth knowledge and skills to lead the home effectively.

It was the registered manager strong leadership and compassionate approach that continually drove equal opportunities for everyone living at the service. Their creative and exemplary initiatives were clearly reflected in the high-quality personalised care people received and the positive outcomes that were achieved.

One relative told us, "The [registered manager] does an amazing job as leader there, keeping everything on track.”

Another relative told us, "The [registered manager] is very approachable, she is fantastic with residents and families."

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. There was information around the home about how to report concerns and this was also available in different formats. The management team had an open-door policy. Staff had the opportunity to be a part of the staff council, where staff were able to give feedback and be involved in decision making. People told us they would speak with the management team if they needed.

Staff told us how the management team were always approachable and supported them.

Staff told us, "They are always there. They have an open door policy. Any questions or anything to raise, the door is always open, they are always happy to support."

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 registered manager told us how they had the staff council so that staff could have their say. The registered manager told us following an incident outside of the home now all staff had been issued with personal alarms, so they felt safe walking home. Staff’s shifts and roles at times were altered to suit their personal circumstances. The registered manager told us they had an environmental champion, and they have been to the food supplier’s factory and joined their recycling scheme.

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. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. The home and provider ensured that people had opportunities and equal rights, and this was continually being adapted and improved. The management team had effective quality assurance oversight and carried out regular audits and checks to monitor and improve all aspects of care they delivered.

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. The home worked in collaboration with community health care professionals such as the local GP, speech and language team and the diabetic nurse. The registered manager invited a local school in to spend time getting to know people and thought it would be a learning opportunity for both sides. with people and thought it would be a learning opportunity for both sides.

Health care professionals also told us, “It is really lovely home I love working with them and nothing is too much for them."

Relatives told us how the registered manager involved the local community in fundraising for the home.

One relative told us, "They have fundraising events in the summer, entertainment come in and they set up the garden for children to play in. Four family members have just done a walk to raise money for a wheelchair swing in the garden. [The registered manager] is very supportive in things like that."

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 home continued to provide staff with the bespoke training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to meet the complex needs of people living at the home.

The home had a business plan in place which highlighted any actions, goals and fundraising requirements. The home was fundraising to renovate the garden which would include a sensory area, fake beach and raised planters for people to be able to grow their own vegetables. The home involved families in the fundraising ideas and sharing a vision to drive improvement.

The registered manager told us how they were driving staff retention to reduce using agency staff. Staff told us they were able to progress if they wanted to and gave examples of how they were progressing in their roles.