Geraint House Residential Care Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 and managers, we spoke with described the key aims and objectives of the service. There was a shared vision based on person centred care. A staff member told us their role was to promote independence and self-determination in a homely environment and to meet peoples’ individual needs.

Another staff member told us, “We are person-centred, kind, safe, and treat everyone as individuals. I know this through induction, training, policies, and daily practice. I demonstrate it by listening to people, respecting their choices, and supporting them in the way they prefer, while also keeping them safe and promoting their independence.”

Staff we spoke with were proud of the service and said they would recommend the service to someone they cared about because they felt the quality of care and support was good.

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 had the skills and experience they required to lead the service effectively.

The registered manager was supported by a home manager and team of support staff. People and staff we spoke with described leadership at the service as supportive, open, honest and accessible.

Leaders were alert for examples of poor culture. The home manager was highly visible and supported staff with day-to-day care provision. A staff member said, “The manager is very approachable and easy to talk to. Often visible on the floor and very hands-on. They treat all staff fairly and equally, listen to us, and provide support when needed. We all feel respected and valued in our roles.” Another staff members said, “The manager is approachable, any concerns they will listen and are diplomatic, any issues they will try and sort.”

Managers and leaders understood the requirements and recommendations made by CQC. They kept up to date with all relevant changes and communicated these effectively to their team. Staff and manager meetings supported effective communication. Staff told us their views and feedback were encouraged.

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

The provider had policies about ‘speaking up’ and staff had training. Staff were able to describe the correct processes to follow. They were confident they would be listened to.

A staff member told us, “I know where the whistleblowing policy is, a copy is also on the staff notice board. Whistleblowing means raising concerns about poor practice, unsafe care, abuse, or anything that is not right, even if it involves a manager or senior staff member. I would feel able to whistle-blow if needed, as my priority is always to keep residents safe. I have never had to do this here, but if I did, I would report it to the manager first. If it was not dealt with or I felt unable to do so, I would escalate it to the CQC or the local authority safeguarding team.”

Another staff member said, “I feel completely comfortable raising anything with the manager. They are always approachable and easy to speak to. Whether it’s a concern, an idea, or something I’m unsure about, I know it will be taken seriously, and I will be supported appropriately.

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.

Staff we spoke with told us they were empowered and confident that their concerns and ideas resulted in positive change to shape the service.

Staff felt listened to and valued. A staff member told us, “It’s definitely a good place to work and I really enjoy being here. The best part of the job is the residents, getting to know them, building relationships, chatting with them, and knowing I’m making a real difference to their day. I enjoy being part of their lives, seeing them happy, and supporting them to maintain their independence and do the things they enjoy. I also enjoy working with the team; we support each other and work well together.”

The provider had policies and procedures that protected staff from discrimination and promoted equal opportunities. Staff consistently told us they were treated fairly and raised no concerns about discrimination.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act in a timely manner to address risk, performance and outcomes.

Since our last inspection the provider had improved systems and processes for identifying risk. This included daily walk arounds and annual external health and safety audits.

At our previous inspection theproviderwas in breach of the legal regulation in relation to governance. At this inspection we found the provider had made improvements and was no longer in breach. Significant work had been undertaken to improve the environment and auditing systems and processes. However, there was a lack of clear planning to address issues and make repairs the provider had identified as potential risk. The provider has since sent us a clearer action plan with time scales for completion. They followed the advice of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue to complete interim actions to enhance fire safety while awaiting further planned work.

People were asked for their feedback about the quality of the service during team meetings and care plan reviews. The manager told recent menu changes had been made in response to people’s feedback.

The provider had a business continuity plan for staff to follow in the event of emergency or natural disasters, such as adverse weather events.

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 with external health and social care professionals.People told us and records seen confirmed there was a collaborative approach and recommendations made by external professionals were followed implemented.

Feedback from an externalprofessional was positive. They told us about improvements the provider had made over the last 12 months.

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.

The provider had made significant improvements since our last inspection. These included the introduction of an electronic care recording system designed to improve care planning and risk assessment with increased involvement of people using the service.

A large amount of fire safety improvements were planned for including the replacement of 40 fire doors and the refurbishment/decoration of the entire service.