Huntercombe Hall 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 requires improvement. At this assessment 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. Staff told us they all try and give the residents a good home and they listen to what people and their families want. A member of staff told us the registered manager “Has turned things around. I have learnt much more recently, and communication has improved. The ten at ten meeting every day is a good thing”. The provider had a statement of purpose outlining their aims and objectives. During our site visit we observed a caring and supportive environment and people, relatives and staff were spoken to with respect. The registered manager had an overall plan which outlined areas identified for improvement including any actions relating to the home environment. The registered manager held staff meetings which included the voice of staff.

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 worked with and received support from their senior management team. The registered manager was responsive throughout the inspection. During the site visit we observed leaders were visible to support people and staff. The registered manager told us they wished to continue with their professional development. Staff told us the registered manager was good, caring, walked around the home every day and spoke with staff, residents and was very approachable. Staff told us, “The registered manager always seems to know what the issues are and does act quickly” and “The ten at ten meeting every day keeps us all informed and shows that [registered manager] is aware of what is going on”.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff told us they could approach the leaders. Satff told us, “I know I could approach registered manager if I needed to speak up and I know I could go to the regional manager if I needed to” and “I would speak up if I was concerned about the way anyone was treated”. The whistleblowing policy was on display in the home.

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 home had a team happiness hub board for everyone to share any positive news. The registered manager celebrated her team and actioned cultural days such as Black History Month. The registered manager had team appreciation board where staff were recognised for their achievements.

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 registered manager had audits and plans in place which looked at all elements of the service provision and highlighted areas for improvement. Staff told us the service was well run and managed well by the registered manager. The registered manager held monthly clinical governance meeting with heads of department. Health and safety audits were actioned. The registered manager had oversight of which members of staff had completed the care certificate. The local authority told us there was evidence of proactive management by the registered manager during recent safeguarding and incident cases. The home had a monthly newsletter for people, relatives and staff which included information on events, activities and updates on the home.

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. A professional told us, “I have no concerns about the quality of care provided or the communication with our [office]”. Another professional told us they visited the home and identified areas for improvement. Since then, the home had made some improvements and we were told, “The registered manager, was very receptive to understanding what the issues were and passionate to address and resolve them”. The registered manager worked with the local authority to resolve issues.

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 had a ‘You said, we did’ noticeboard on which concerns and compliments were shared. In addition, the registered manager had a message box for anyone to leave their concerns, compliments and feedback. The registered manager invested in their training and had oversight of specialist training.