Hamilton's Residential 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 Inadequate. 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.

The provider and manager had acted to work with staff to develop a shared vision and culture. They had been open and honest about the outcomes of our last inspection and the action they were taking to make improvements. These had been discussed at staff meetings and staff had been asked for their feedback. One staff member commented, “There is now a shared direction”.

Staff described a significant improvement in the culture at the service, including communication. They told us they felt supported by the manager and provider, who were accessible and approachable. Staff told us they no longer felt isolated from the provider, who visited regularly and took time to speak with staff. One staff member told us they had not needed to contact the provider since the manager had come into post and the manager was “Approachable”.

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 provider and manager demonstrated the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Senior carers told us they were pleased their previous responsibilities, including reviewing and writing care plans, had been reinstated. This had led to more detailed care plans which reflected people’s current needs. They also completed other leadership tasks such as supervising care staff and had been supported to develop their skills to do this. One senior carer told us they “love” their new role. Development plans were in place to support staff to progress in their roles, including succession planning.

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

People and staff told us they felt confident to speak up and felt their voice would be heard. One person told us, “I’d report any concerns to one of the girls. It’s what they’re here for and I think they’d do something about it”. Staff felt confident to speak up and had raised any concerns with the manager and provider. They had shared any suggestions at team meetings, and these had been considered. When suggestions had not been acted on, the reason why had been explained.

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 acted to value diversity in their workforce and had developed an inclusive and fair culture. Staff told us they felt all staff were now treated equally. Rotas were given to staff in advance so they could plan their lives outside of work. Some staff told us their personal circumstances were now taken into consideration when the shift rota was developed. Staff were able to swap shifts if they needed to.

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.

Following our last inspection the provider had taken action to ensure all staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Clear governance structures had been established, and accountability systems were now effective. The provider’s monthly quality checks had improved and had identified any shortfalls. Quality assurance processes had been reviewed and improved. New checks had been implemented to make sure shortfalls we found at our last inspection were monitored regularly and identified if they occurred again. The manager now had oversight of any checks they did not complete themselves. Action plans were developed to address any shortfalls found and these were reviewed regularly to make sure shortfalls did not continue. For example, training audits since our inspection showed that action had been taken to support staff to complete training and training compliance had significantly improved.

The provider had commissioned another mock inspection by an external consultant completed in July 2025. Again, this had identified shortfalls but on this occasion an action plan had been developed and we found required improvements had been made.

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 staff continued to work with other health care professionals including district nurses. They had requested care reviews from funding authorities, and these were planned after our inspection. The provider had worked with local authority commissioners to keep the quality of the service under review. Staff had begun to foster links with the local community, including visiting local museums and cafes which people told us they had enjoyed.

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.

Since our last inspection the provider had taken steps to focus on continuous learning and improvement across the service. They had encouraged staff to make suggestions about creative ways of delivering care and improve people’s quality of life. The provider had reviewed and improved their quality assurance processes, as well as how different areas of the building were used. The quality of the service had significantly improved since our last inspection. We will continue to monitor the quality of the service to make sure improvements are sustained and the service continues to develop.