Weavers 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 service demonstrated a strong commitment to person-centred care placing people at the heart of decision-making and empowering them to live the best lives possible.

Leaders fostered a positive, compassionate, listening culture which promoted trust between people living at the home and staff. Relatives told us the culture of the home was warm, welcoming, caring and respectful to people. One relative told us because of this approach the care was, “Not just good, [staff] are excelling.”

Staff were encouraged to be consistently kind and patient in their approach. The registered manager told us, “Care is first and foremost” and said they understood the importance of having a good staff team which provided continuity of care. Staff were very positive about the culture of the service. This included good teamwork and high morale reported by many of the staff. One staff member told us, “I like everything about working here. It’s home from home. I never dread coming here. It’s one big family and management are great.” A senior staff member commented, “The staff are amazing and supporting them is a pleasure.” Many of the staff we spoke with had worked at the service for many years because they wanted to continue to work where the focus was on the people they cared for.

The provider had policies and procedures in place, underpinned by a clear vision to help staff understand their responsibilities and the standards expected in delivering care. There were further plans to implement additional quality assurance systems to strengthen this framework and support consistent, high-quality care.

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 and nominated individual demonstrated a good oversight of the service and worked closely together to ensure people received good care and staff were well supported. Relatives were complimentary and expressed confidence in the leadership and direction of the service and said senior staff were knowledgeable and approachable. Staff spoke positively about the leadership at the home. One staff member said, “There is a good level of communication between the management team and staff.” Another staff member told us, “[Senior staff member’s name] is lovely, nothing is too much trouble.” A further staff member said, “If you ask any of the senior staff a question you get a sensible answer and are not put off until later.” Staff said their loyalty to the service due to them feeling there was an inclusive approach by senior staff which made them feel valued.

Staff said because of the approach taken by the registered manager and senior staff they were listened to, and they knew their views mattered. For example, one staff member had suggested removal of ambient lighting, to aid better sleep for people. This had been adopted in the home.

The registered manager kept their knowledge up to date by completing relevant training, staying informed about changes in legislation, and attending provider forums. The provider understood their obligations to submit notifications to CQC, as required by law.

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

Staff told us they felt comfortable raising any issues or concerns with either the registered manager or the provider and were confident that these would be addressed appropriately. They described the management team as approachable and accessible, a view that was also confirmed by relatives.

Staff had regular opportunities to raise any concerns, for example, through participating in regular handovers, team meetings, one to one supervisions and appraisals. Staff told us they felt supported, valued, and listened to by the management team.

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 made reasonable adjustments to support staff learning and adapted staff work patterns to accommodate family, personal, or health related needs. Staff were positive about how they were valued, and their individual needs were met. A staff member highlighted how supportive and welcoming both the management and staff team had been when they relocated from oversees to work at the home. A further staff member commented, “[There] are never any issues with bullying here, [even] when I cover other teams.”

Staff were actively encouraged to provide feedback on any individual support needs they had, which was welcomed and valued by the management team. Staff gave us examples of specific aids and adaptations which had been put in place to help them to contribute equally to life at the home.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, and systems of accountability but they did not always have effective governance systems. Some governance processes had not identified or driven through prompt improvement in relation to some of the concerns we found.

The provider’s governance processes had not identified, or promptly driven through, some improvements which we identified were required. These were in relation to medicines management and storage of some items in one area of the home, which may affect fire risk. In addition, we identified a porous surface which would be difficult to clean, and some additional detail was required in certain care records. The registered manager began to address these areas immediately. The provider told us they planned to continue their ongoing refurbishment of the home to ensure the home remains a safe, and welcoming environment for people to live in.

However, the provider had clearly defined roles and responsibilities and some systems in place to monitor care were working more effectively. This included audits and checks to ensure people received effective care and treatment from staff with the knowledge and competencies to provide this. Other audits were routinely completed by the provider and management team, covering areas such as accidents and incidents.

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.

Relatives told us they were equal partners in their family member’s care. A relative told us because of this approach, “I trust them with the most important thing, which is my mother.” Staff felt they were listened to, and their views were taken seriously. For example, domestic staff shared they had approached management with a request to increase staffing levels, and this request was agreed to. This demonstrates a positive culture where staff feel empowered to make suggestions and where leadership is responsive and supportive.

The staff team worked collaboratively with partner agencies, including health and social care professionals and Local Authorities, helping to ensure services operated seamlessly for people. They shared relevant information and took part in multi-disciplinary meetings including safeguarding and care reviews to ensure a coordinated and continuously improving approach to care. They also shared information and learning with external partners to support continuous improvement, for example, they provided volunteering and placement opportunities for health and social care students at schools and colleges.

The leadership at the home had already fostered strong and positive links with the local community. These included links with a local nursery, which facilitated children regularly visiting people in the home, and staff hosting an annual garden party. There was attendance from the Lord Mayor and a local history celebrity.

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 shared examples of how they planned to improve care provision through additional training and learning opportunities for staff, this was following some improvements they had identified during their own audits. For example, in relation to some elements of medicines management. The registered manager informed us that a staff member had recently been identified to start to take on the role of infection prevention control (IPC) champion, further strengthening the service’s focus on maintaining a safe and hygienic environment.

Leaders at the home were open to new ideas and external scrutiny to develop people’s care further. For example, the provider had already started working with the accreditation body for the Gold Standards Framework (GSF). This is a framework for improving people’s end-of-life care and experience. In addition, opportunities for staff to further develop their dementia care skills in line with best practice had been planned prior to the inspection. This included a dementia bus visiting the service soon.

There were systems in place to review feedback from people and their relatives, the registered manager gave us examples of how they had taken learning, such as refining their policies and procedures following a concern. Leaders provided examples of learning opportunities identified when reflecting on accidents, incidents and safeguarding events. Processes were in place to review every incident which happened in the home, and to share learning with staff.