Rokewood 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 inspection, we rated this key question good. At this inspection, 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 service 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.

The managers described the values of the provider and explained how these were applied to ensure they employed suitable staff. Managers told us they routinely used individual and group meetings to remind staff about the provider’s underlying core values and principles. They supported a reflective practice approach, establishing a learning culture to support staff to deliver good quality care. Staff told us they were supported by their line managers and senior staff to deliver consistently safe, person-centred care to people in line with the provider’s vision and values for the service.

The service had not been consistently managed because they had not had a stable management team in place for many years. However, the new leaders that were now in post, including the interim service manager and both deputy managers, understood the context in which the service delivered care and support. They had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively, and did so with integrity, openness and honesty. They embodied the culture and values of their workforce and the organisation.

The service continues to experience higher than expected rates of manager turnover with it having 4 different managers being in day-to-day charge since 2020 with no one remaining for more than 12 months. This lack of a stable management has meant the service has not been consistently managed. Furthermore, feedback we received from relatives about management consistency at the care home was mixed. People were positive about the leadership approach of the new interim service manager and her deputy managers, but they were equally dissatisfied with the services constantly changing management team. Typical comments included, “The managers are great, but they don’t seem to last very long here”, “The managers who I have a lot of time for are always coming and then going before you’ve had a chance to get to know them” and “The high turnover of managers this home seems to constantly experience is not good for the stability and overall management of the service. It desperately needs a stable management team to provide that continuity the people living here deserve. The new manager is particularly good, so I just hope she stays this time.”

At the time of this inspection the service did not have a registered manager in post however, a new manager [A former registered manager of the service] had been in post there since February 2025, who took over the day-to-day running of the service before the previous registered manager had left. The new manager has now submitted their application to register with us, which we are currently assessing. The service also has two deputy managers who support the new manager to run the care home and be in day-to-day charge in their absence.

The new interim manager, the deputy managers and the regional head of care and quality were all visible within the care home at the time of our inspection, and came across as suitably skilled, knowledgeable and experienced.

Staff were complimentary about the leadership approach of the management team who they consistently described as effective, approachable and professional. Typical feedback we received included, “The managers were experienced and they know what they are doing,” “The managers are compassionate and caring. We are like one big family here” and “The new manager is very experienced, approachable and supportive. I am happy to have her in-charge here.”

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

The care home had an open and transparent culture where people, relatives, external health and social care professionals, and staff were all encouraged to raise concerns without fear. A relative told us, “I do feel the managers and staff listen to what we have to say.” An external care professional added, “The service holds regular meetings where people living there can discuss and help plan the weekly menus and social activities programme.” The provider used a range of methods to gather people’s views about what the care home did well or might do better. The provider received regular feedback through various forums people were encouraged to attend. The manager told us they explained the complaints process before people moved into the home. Staff were encouraged to feedback concerns on behalf of people or their representatives and to record them in their care notes.

The provider valued and listened to the views of staff. Staff were encouraged to contribute their ideas about what the service did well and what they could do better during regular individual and group meetings with their line managers and fellow co-workers. The provider had a ‘Speak up’ policy that was available to all staff. Staff felt able to brings things to the attention of the managers.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

Staff told us they were part of a diverse team, treated equally and fairly, and they felt able to speak up. Staff told us their managers were supportive and reported feeling cared for, respected, valued and listened to by them. One member of staff said, “It is quite lovely to work here.” Another added, “We are a diverse staff team. I am treated equally, able to speak up and feel like a valued member of the staff team.”

Managers understood the importance of having a fair and inclusive workplace for all staff to work in. Staff were provided support through relevant training and supervision to inform their knowledge and understanding of equality, inclusivity and fairness in the workplace.

The service 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 act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

Governance systems were well-established, effectively operated and used to regularly check and audit the quality and safety of the care and support provided at the care home. The outcomes of these checks and audits are routinely used to identify performance shortfalls which feed into an action plan to continuously improve the quality and safety of the service people living at the care home received. Managers and staff demonstrated a good understanding of their governance roles and responsibilities in relation to assessing, monitoring and managing the quality and safety of the service they provided.

The quality of information recorded and maintained in people’s care records, and records relating to the management of the service was sufficiently detailed, up to date and accurate.

The managers and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to regulatory requirements around notifiable incidents. Our records indicated the new interim manager continued to notify the CQC in a timely manner about any incidents and events they were legally required to. They also understood their responsibility to apply duty of candour and where appropriate apologised when things went wrong.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

The provider shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. Managers and staff told us they worked closely with various external health and social care professionals and bodies who they regularly consulted and welcomed their views and advice. Managers and staff worked closely with the local GP surgery and the district nursing team to jointly meet people’s health care needs. External health and social care professionals confirmed this when they explained they had only positive experiences of working with this provider. One said, “They [staff] work well with us in areas of information sharing and are always willing to act on advice we give them.”

The service 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 contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

Managers understood the importance of having an open culture of learning and continuous improvement to ensure people consistently received high quality, safe care and support. Managers told us all the audits and checks the provider conducted were routinely analysed to identify performance shortfalls and learn lessons, so the service could continuously improve. When lessons needed to be learned, the provider developed action plans which set out clearly what, how and when they needed to take steps to improve the service they provided people. Staff confirmed information about any lessons learnt and action plans developed as a result were always shared with them during individual and group supervision meetings with their line managers.