Walberton Place 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 75 (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.
Posters in the home told visitors and staff about the values of the service. Staff understood the values and visions of the home and told us it made them proud to work there. A staff member said, “The service promotes clear values centred on dignity, respect, safety, and person-centred care. These are embedded in daily practice and guide how we support residents.” And another told us, “The vision of Walberton Place is to provide outstanding person-centred care that promotes dignity, independence and quality of life for every resident. I understand how this applies to my role every single day, from the way I speak to residents, to the care plans I write, to the decisions I make on the floor. I am committed to upholding these values in everything I do.” Relatives noticed staff following the values of the home, a relative said, “I have not seen the carers rush anyone or appear overly stressed.”

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 told us about their experience and how they used it to ensure effective care for people. Staff told us the registered manager, and the area manager were visible and helpful. Culture at the home was positive, we saw staff working well together and speaking kindly to each other. Senior staff spoke highly of other staff at the home. A senior staff member told us, “The area manager is very supportive and I am happy to talk to her.”
 

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.
Staff were happy at the home and told us they knew who to speak to if they had any concerns. The registered manager was supportive, staff told us they had supervisions and were able to use this time to raise concerns with the registered manager. A staff member said, “I have felt supported by both colleagues and management when challenges arise, with a strong team culture that encourages openness and mutual support.”
Relatives told us they were able to raise concerns with the registered manager with confidence, a relative told us they had concerns about a loved one’s catheter, and this was addressed promptly by staff.

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 at the home were from various cultural backgrounds and had varied employment histories. Staff told us how this enhanced care at the home, embracing differences, and learning from each other. A staff member said, “I like it here. I am a qualified nurse in India, though here I do personal care. I have a relative with dementia so I understand a lot about it.”
Staff received training in equality and diversity. People noticed the calm, positive culture in the home. A person said, “All the staff and carers get on well as far as I can tell which is nice.”

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 understood the hierarchy and responsibilities of staff at the home. The registered manager had appointed ‘champions’ for various features of care to help focus on these aspects of care. For example, a nutrition and hydration champion and a continence champion. This gave staff responsibility and improved care by encouraging staff to learn about specific types of care, to better support people.
The registered manager ensured she remained aware of current best practice, using email updates from the provider and other homes in the group. Regular meetings of managers in the group were used to share lessons learned. The registered manager told us she shared relevant information with staff.
The registered manager used audits to monitor and improve care at the service and had well organised records and audit files. She also told us, “I do random night checks, and access the care portal to check care is being done, for example, I can check when pads are changed.”

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 home was part of a larger group and used this to share information and learn from each other. People were supported by staff to attend healthcare appointments when needed. Staff worked closely with social workers who supported people, if peoples’ needs changed, staff worked in partnership with social workers to ensure the correct level of care and appropriate placement was found.
Staff liaised with local GPs with any concerns about peoples’ health. Staff also attended regular multidisciplinary team ward rounds to discuss concerns. Staff spoke with community nurses about peoples’ skin integrity and the community nurses visited the home as needed. Staff had the support of the community matrons regarding peoples’ mobility changes.

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 supported the registered manager to deliver good quality care. Systems and policies were in place to guide staff, while the registered manager was also keen to acknowledge and implement new ideas where they could improve care. The home promoted a ‘Make a Wish scheme for example to improve peoples’ experience of living in a care home. The registered manager told us, “We look at people’s likes and dislikes, and try and bring back that spark. We remind people [moving into a care home] is not the end, it’s the beginning of a new chapter with fewer worries.” Staff ensured people felt valued and happy, for example, by treating them as if the home were a hotel. Staff told us when they took meals to people in their rooms, they referred to it as ‘room service’. This worked well for people living with dementia. People felt positive about the care and support they received. A person said, “The carers are always really friendly and caring.”