Rother Valley View

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 under the old provider, we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment under the new provider the rating has changed to 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. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally. There was a positive atmosphere and culture in the service which focused on effective care and support for people. Managers and staff told us they aimed to give people they supported the best quality person centred care they could. Leaders were knowledgeable about their regulatory responsibilities and about the priorities for the development of the service. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and felt involved in decisions about the service including the changes implemented by the new provider. One staff member said, “My transition to Voyage Care has been smooth and positive.” Another staff member commented, “The transition to Voyage Care for me personally has been seamless.”

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 manager and senior team were visible within the service, leading by example and modelling inclusive behaviours. Staff were supported with regular meetings where they could discuss the running of the service and share any ideas. The manager understood their responsibility under duty of candour and acted with honesty and integrity to report when things went wrong and investigated these. The provider had an annual Voyage Excellence awards ceremony to recognise and reward good practice of staff at all levels. Nominations for awards were encouraged from people, relatives and staff. At the time of our visit some staff had just received notification that they had been nominated and shared this information with us.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Systems were in place for people, families, professionals and staff to speak up. Although the collation of formal feedback under the new provider was still to be completed people and their relatives told us they felt their views were sought and if they had issues these were acted upon. One relative told us, “Best place [person] has ever lived and like all places they have issues, but they involve us in sorting them.”

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 had policies and procedures in place regarding equality, diversity and inclusion and staff had received training on equality and diversity. We received feedback from staff that when needed adjustments were made for them to support them with their personal circumstances. One staff told us, “Yes very supportive. Everyone was lovely. Makes you want to come back.”

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. The manager had good oversight of the service and was supported in their role by the provider. The provider had structures in place to monitor and improve the quality of care they delivered. Systems such as audits and quality monitoring were used to check the quality and safety of the service and actions noted to be in place to address issues highlighted. The manager was aware of their responsibilities to notify partners. For example, notifications to CQC and safeguarding alerts. The provider had a business continuity plan which detailed how they would be prepared for emergencies. The model of care met the CQC guidance for ‘Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.’

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 provider had a strong commitment to improving the service and were open to suggestions for improvement, recognising the importance of joint working with partner agencies.Records seen evidenced positive working relationships with other professionals. Advice was sought, and referrals were made in a timely manner which allowed continuity of care. We received positive feedback from professionals. One professional commented, “Overall I am impressed with the set-up and staff team at Rother Valley View. The atmosphere when I visit is generally welcoming, the environment clean and there are usually plans for various activities and different people choosing to spend time in communal areas.”

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 senior team worked with people, their families and staff to build a culture focused on improved outcomes for people. One relative told us, “I’ve seen [person] improve socially which is a huge boost.” Another relative told us, “We are all working together.” Staff told us they were encouraged to contribute their ideas about the service and were supported to learn new skills as well as develop in their role. One staff told us, “I want to progress and learn more, so they give me more tasks and training which has given me confidence as well.” The provider was open to learning and improving. Learning was embedded through team meetings and audits, and the provider was continually striving to make improvements. The manager and senior team were responsive throughout the assessment to suggestions for improvements to ensure people received safe and effective care.