Carterhatch Supported Living Services

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 understood the principles of equality and the provider promoted a culture of shared direction. This was now being discussed in staff meetings and as part of staff supervision. The registered manager and staff were positive around promoting people’s rights and helping them lead a fulfilled life. The new management team were improving the systems for gaining feedback from people and relatives to monitor the culture of the home.

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.

At the time of the inspection there was no registered manager and the provider was putting in an application for a new registered manager. A new management team has taken over from September 2025 and there was a manager in post.

Relatives told us there had been issues with communication with the service but felt the new management team were proactive in wanting to improve communication. Relatives said, “Previously communication has not been great and really let them down. I get the impression that the new manager is proactive with people’s interests at heart.” and “I have met the new managers, and hope and trust things will settle down. My main concern is will the new management stay. It is unsettling with them changing.” Another relative said, “The new [area manager] is supportive, caring and enthusiastic. [They are] always around and are easy to talk to. [They are keen] to improve relationships with people and carers.”

The area manager had written to all people and relatives introducing the new management team, explaining what they were doing and inviting people to talk to them if they wanted to. The new management team told us they wanted to create a culture of openness and trust which would improve the quality-of-service delivery which placed people at the heart of everything they did.

Staff told us they felt supported by the management team. One staff member said, "Yes, I do [feel supported] more than ever. Only this year I can really say I have been given the support I feel I deserve and needed. I get the service manager checking in daily which goes a long long way. [They] check in that I’m okay and [I know] that [they are] here and I can reach out. that to me means so much.”

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

Staff knew what whistleblowing was and how to raise any concerns. Staff felt able to voice any concerns they had and there were numerous ways the provider facilitated this. A staff member said, “Absolutely I do feel comfortable [speaking up].”

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.

There was a culturally diverse workforce at the service. Staff and leaders had training in diversity and used this to help inform staff wellbeing.

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.

There were some audits in place such as regular medicines audits which identified concerns and how these were addressed. An annual night spot check audit in July 2025 showed no high risks had been identified and an area for training identified for night staff on duty. The provider completed they annual audit process which looked at all aspects of the service and care quality and delivery. Results from the previous year were positive and the audit was due at the time of the inspection. This audit was used to create an action plan for the service which aimed to address any issues found quickly and efficiently.

There were weekly finance audits, but the management team said these were not documented. The manager said these would be documented going forward. There were also monthly health and safety checks completed by support workers. There was a plan for these to be completed on the new electronic system which could them be submitted centrally.

The service was in the process of moving to a new electronic care management system. The management team said they were looking at how they can we take the learnings forward and improve the quality of record keeping.

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 service worked collaboratively with partners in people’s care to ensure services worked well for people. We saw people were fully supported to attend healthcare appointments and activities of their choice. This ensured people were leading lives they found fulfilling.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system.

The management team told us they were focused and enthusiastic about improving the service. The service had been working with the local authority quality team to help improve the quality of care. The new management team had been responsive to any suggestions and wanted to make significant improvements for the wellbeing of the people they supported. They were also responsive to the findings of the inspection and told us following the inspection they were addressing the concerns we had found.