The Hamiltons 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 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 had a clear Statement of Purpose and vision and strategy for the service which the leaders were aware of. Values of the service were important to the leaders we spoke with, and they told us they were incorporated into everyday processes. A relative told us, “The home manager seems very approachable and helps with any problems I ever have.” A member of staff said, “There is good management overall. Communication is good and she is very friendly and down to earth.”

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 provider ensured there was always suitable managerial cover; this included leaders staff being available to provide advice to staff call throughout the night. A staff member told us, “We have 2 members of staff in at night, but there is on call support available if we need it.”

Leaders of the service were suitably experienced and qualified and had clearly defined roles and accountabilities. Competency assessments were carried out regarding medication and moving and handling to ensure staff had the correct skills to do this safely.

Leaders were knowledgeable about issues and priorities for the service; they had access to appropriate support and individual line management from the provider. Leaders had the opportunity to develop within their roles. The registered manager had started their career working at The Hamilton’s as a carer before commencing in their current role.

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

Regular staff meetings took place. We saw minutes of these meetings which showed staff were kept informed about changes and improvements and that lessons learned were shared.

The provider had processes to support staff to speak up. This included handover meetings, staff meetings and a whistleblowing policy. Staff told us they knew about the provider’s whistleblowing policy and would not hesitate to use this to benefit staff and people living at the home if they ever encountered any bad practice.

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.

Leaders provided flexible working agreements to staff to account for personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities and health issues and had put reasonable adjustments in place for some staff to help them carry out their role. This was confirmed by staff we spoke with. A member of staff said, “The manager is very good with any personal problems we may have.”

Managers engaged with staff via staff surveys, to ensure their voices were heard. Staff were confident they could raise concerns directly with their leaders, and had received training in equality, diversity and human rights. A staff member told us, “We would be encouraged to report any bad practice if we saw it.”

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.

Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities and had regular opportunities to meet, discuss and learn from the performance of the service, such as at team meetings.

Audits and governance checks were carried out by both the provider and registered manager. These covered areas such as care plans, medication and infection control. We spoke with the registered manager and provider about ensuring these audits were strengthened to ensure appropriate checks were carried out of window restrictors as part of daily walk arounds, MCA assessments and staff supervisions/appraisals. These had been some of the shortfalls identified during the assessment.

Notifications were consistently submitted to CQC or external organisations as required. There were robust arrangements for the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data, records and data management systems.

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.

Staff and leaders were open and transparent and collaborated with all relevant external stakeholders and agencies. The provider engaged in various meetings with external stakeholders including the local authority, medical centres, district nurses and the DoLS team. The home had a designated quality performance officer from the council who supported the home with regular monitoring and driving improvements. The home also had a number of links within the local community including attending a local group dementia group.

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 provider had an ongoing improvement plan and was actively investing in developing and improving the home where possible. There was an open culture where people, families and staff felt able to share their views. The provider worked closely with the local commissioners and actively engaged in seeking advice and support where this was needed. The registered manager and provider were responsive to our feedback and took action to address any areas of concerns we identified.