Speedwell Court

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 changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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.

While some staff said they were not sure what the provider’s vision and values were, all said they felt involved in the team and spoke positively about the leadership within the home. The registered manager demonstrated a passion for promoting an inclusive culture for staff and residents based on care and respect. The registered manager spoke of “Providing a place where you would want your family to live.”

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 management team had been supported to achieve leadership and management qualifications. The management team also benefitted from managers with qualifications in speech and language therapy and advanced challenging behaviour training. The service had supported team members to be promoted and supported people to move into management roles.

The registered manager had completed higher level vocational qualifications as part of their continuing professional development and was a member of the Hampshire Care Association forum for sharing ideas regarding good practice.

The registered manager had a good working relationship with the deputy manager and staff spoke highly of them both. Staff we spoke with felt the management team had the appropriate knowledge, experience and skills to lead effectively. Staff comments included, “(They have) people skills which is good as it’s a diverse team” and “They all appear to know their jobs very well and perform them efficiently and well in the interests of the care home…They’re very focused in providing the best environment for the people who live here.”

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

People and their relatives confirmed they felt confident to raise issues with the management team and that these would be resolved. A family member commented, “The management are all very responsive. I see someone in person, or I email and there’s always been a response. Any problems we’ve had, they’ve solved.”

All staff spoken with during our visit gave very positive feedback about the management team. Managers were approachable and staff felt they could speak up.

The registered manager asked staff at team meetings for suggestions to improve the service. Suggestions could also be made anonymously and through staff surveys and supervisions. For example, staff had asked for additional training in relation to behavioural support and this had been scheduled.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

The registered manager told us the home had a very diverse resident and staffing group. The staff team included people with disabilities, from over 20 different nationalities and several declared religions.

The registered manager had a keen interest and a level 7 qualification in Equality and Diversity Advocacy. They gave examples demonstrating how reasonable adjustments were discussed with and implemented for individual staff, which meant the staff were able to continue working in their roles in a safe and secure way.

The registered manager had conducted a survey of the views of managers of the provider’s services in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion policies and procedures, to see how they could be better supported. A staff survey was planned to follow this.

Staff confirmed there was an inclusive culture within the service. There was a system in place whereby staff could make suggestions anonymously. We saw an email from the registered manager to staff detailing how one suggestion was being taken on board and used.

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.

There were clear systems of governance including, for example, risk review meetings and staff handovers. A regional operations manager carried out regular audits on behalf of the provider to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Any actions identified by the audits were communicated to accountable senior staff by the registered manager for follow up.

The service looked for ways to improve the home’s environment and service offer, for example with the introduction of a male only unit to meet their specific needs safely and using equipment to create a less restrictive environment for people with dementia who would previously require bed rails.

We saw evidence of staff team meetings being held. For example, to discuss pressure wound care and repositioning, medicinal creams and topical treatments, and falls prevention.

Staff we spoke with were clear about their roles and responsibilities. For example, the importance of ensuring that people’s information, records and data were managed and handled securely.

The registered manager and provider were clear about their legal responsibilities and notified the commission appropriately. Where issues were brought to their attention, the registered manager and provider investigated these, and informed relevant parties as needed.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

There were clear initiatives in place to work collaboratively with partners for the benefit of people using the service. Their work with health professionals had led to increased collaboration and feedback mechanisms, improving end of life care, wound care and increasing early interventions.

The service worked effectively with external partners including district nurses, the local hospice, GP and older persons mental health team. A visiting health professional told us the senior staff they interacted with were knowledgeable and capable and shared useful and relevant information about people’s needs. The provider’s survey of external professionals involved with the home received positive responses from those who took part. For example, all had indicated they felt the service did extremely well at meeting people’s care and support needs.

The provider's customer manager sent referrals for new admissions to the registered manager, so that the home’s capacity to meet the person’s needs, and any compatibility issues were fully assessed.

We saw records of residents’ meetings that included discussions and updates regarding staffing, activities, food, maintenance, and housekeeping. A complaints and compliments log was kept and showed feedback was acted on.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 organised regular presentations involving external professionals with key speakers on subjects such as dementia awareness, support groups and research. They also organised dementia lunch clubs so that people living with dementia could visit the home along with a friend or relative, with the aim of breaking down the barrier of 'what a care home is'. The registered manager had obtained external funding for this for the year. Funding had also been obtained for improvements to the garden.

We saw evidence of a strong commitment to improving outcomes for people. For example, meeting their communication needs. A person had lived in the home since 2023 and had been severely affected by dementia, leading to a gradual loss of their ability to speak English. The service explored several ways to support them, including using Google Translate and showing films in their native language with English subtitles. They also went the extra mile by contacting the relevant embassy and were able to arrange video‑link interpretation. Through this, they discovered that the person had lost most of their language abilities. They also learned that they often felt upset and insecure because they no longer felt they fitted in. As a result, the service adapted their approach, placing greater emphasis on tone of voice, facial expressions, and non‑verbal communication. Since then, the person had become noticeably more comfortable and at ease.

The service had been nominated as finalists for a national award for palliative and end of life care in 2024.