Astley Grange

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.

The provider had a statement of purpose and vision and strategy for the service which staff and leaders were aware of. A service user guide was in place which contained useful information for people and relatives, including the philosophy of care and how to make a complaint. The registered manager told us, “Astley Grange has a key value of ‘tailored care as individual as you are,’ and this means that we support our residents on their individual journeys in the most person-centred way we can. We understand that care is not a one size fits all, therefore our staff are adaptable and get to know each resident on a personal level so they can be supported to their best of their ability.”

The registered manager was aware of any risks or barriers to achieving strategic goals; they ensured staff received mandatory and service specific training, in addition to staff supervision, appraisals and staff meetings.

Staff were encouraged to be involved in care plan reviews and meetings about people. Daily staff handovers were held between shifts, and daily manager walkabouts and daily staff huddle meetings were used to ensure all staff were kept up to date. Staff demonstrated good levels of communication when assisting people.

The registered manager operated an ‘open door’ policy to assist staff in feeling comfortable in holding discussions, seeking advice, sharing their knowledge and asking questions. All people said they knew who the manager was and saw them regularly. A staff member said, “There is a good culture. The management are important and they are always there for you.”

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 was suitably experienced and qualified and had worked previously in the social care sector, so had the skills and competence to carry out their role; they had worked at the location initially as a nurse and then as deputy manager before eventually becoming the registered manager after the previous registered manager retired. A staff member told us, “Managers are supportive with any personal problems, or if you needed to attend an appointment, just let them know and its fine.”

Leaders had the opportunity to develop within their roles; they took full responsibility within their roles and challenged poor performance when necessary. The registered manager told us they were adequately supported by the provider and said, “Throughout my working career at Astley Grange the business owners have been supportive in my learning, putting me through management training and currently my NVQ level 5 to make sure I am aware of what is expected of me. I feel very supported by my business owners and able to ask any question of anything I may be unsure of.”

The provider ensured there was always suitable managerial cover including leaders being available to provide advice to staff throughout the night and at weekends.

Staff told us they felt supported and received the necessary support and supervision. A staff member said, “We are a team, and I feel everybody works well together. We do things together and nobody is on their own. I really enjoy my job.”

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

Staff told us the felt able to raise concerns and said they would be listened to. There were mechanisms in place for staff to speak up and a culture in place to encourage them to do so. Good communication was in place through team meetings, daily huddle meetings and formal individual supervision sessions to ensure staff had regular opportunities to engage with leaders. This was also supported by policies and information supporting staff to raise concerns externally if required.

People and relatives felt their voice was heard. The provider had an up-to-date freedom to speak up and whistleblowing policy. A person told us, “Staff are absolutely brilliant, I couldn’t wish for better.” A relative said, “If I wasn’t happy, I would talk to [registered manager name], she is approachable and told me if I have any issues to come and tell her.”

Without exception everyone we spoke with told us how well the home was run by the registered manager; they said the registered manager was very approachable and always available to chat and they stated staff worked as a team and were enthusiastic about their jobs.

We looked at the results of the most recent surveys. Analysis of the survey results showed people being supported were overwhelmingly pleased with the quality of care provided and how they were treated by staff members. Responses indicated people were comfortable with staff. In conclusion, people were happy with the support provided, feeling supported in living their lives and doing as they wished. People felt they were secure around staff members, and made their own decisions, with staff support.

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.

No-one raised any concerns about discrimination. Leaders provided flexible working agreements to staff to account for personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities and health issues and had put reasonable adjustments in place for some staff to help them carry out their role. Leaders took steps to ensure staff were representative of the population of people being supported. Staff told us they were treated equally by leaders. A staff member told us, “[Registered manager name] is very supportive and I can always go to her with concerns. I feel very supported.”

Managers engaged with staff via appropriate forums such as individual supervisions, various staff meeting types and staff surveys, to ensure their voices were heard. Staff were confident they could raise concerns directly with their leaders, and had received training in equality, diversity and human rights.

Responses received in the most recent staff survey completed in 2025 were overwhelmingly positive. A staff member told us, “We have very good management. [Registered manager name] was previously a nurse here, and there is excellent leadership.”

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 were clear about their roles and accountabilities and had regular opportunities to meet, discuss and learn from the performance of the service. A clear organisational staff infrastructure was in place.

The provider operated effective governance processes; audit systems ensured staff were undertaking regular clinical audits, and analysis of recorded accident and incident data was in place to provide trend analysis and lessons learned. We found clear systems of recording and handover, which supported staff at all levels to work safely with people.

Managers and staff were clear on the risks they faced and worked hard to make improvements and mitigate any risks. Performance and risks were routinely discussed in staff and leaders' meetings. The registered manager told us, “At Astley Grange, risks are identified through regular audits, incident and accident reporting, safeguarding concerns, complaints, health and safety checks and feedback from staff, residents and families. Key risks and learning points are shared with staff through handovers, team meetings, nurse meetings, safety briefings and written communications such as memos, noticeboards and emails. This ensures staff understand current risks, their individual responsibilities, and any immediate actions required to keep people safe.”

A range of operational meetings, were used to review data, including any incidents, complaints, weight loss, medication errors, and any further concerns. There were regular meetings, focusing on clinical risk and oversight of people’s assessed needs to ensure appropriate action had been taken.

The provider had a business continuity plan, which covered the relevant areas. Policies which were reviewed as part of this inspection had been reviewed and were up to date.

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, registered manager and staff worked in partnership with local organisations and people were supported to engage with the local community, which had a positive impact on people. The results of the most recent activities survey carried out in 2025 were very positive and there were no negative comments. People’s daily lifestyle was identified in their care plans which provided information on what each person was interested in and liked to take part in.

Activity news was posted in the bi-monthly newsletter sent to people and relatives. The most recent newsletter identified the provider was currently recruiting a new activity coordinator and forging a growing partnership with the local school, whose students visited every week as part of their ‘elderly care’ programme.

Eyecare specialists and podiatrists visited the home regularly and a visiting dentist had been secured, with the first visit to the home being in December 2025. Age UK visited to carry out activity sessions. One person was supported to follow their faith by accessing the relevant community facility and other people told us they went out with relatives regularly.

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 had suitable systems and policies to ensure continuous learning and improvement. We noted lessons learned were in place and where concerns had been identified, these concerns were shared with the staff team. The registered manager was responsive to feedback from all sources.

The provider was committed in ensuring quality assurance was in place to maintain high standards of care and ensure the well-being of people being supported. There were clear and established standards for various aspects of care such as medicine management and people’s safety. The provider and registered manager regularly reviewed incidents and medicine errors, and any necessary improvement actions were recorded.

The provider regularly assessed the care provided through audits, internal quality assurance visits, and by analysing feedback from people and their relatives. Data including incident reporting and health outcomes was collected and analysed to identify areas for improvement. Meetings were held regularly to identify areas of concern.

The provider adequately trained staff and they understood the quality standards and procedures. All people we spoke with said they were happy with how things were, and when we asked what they would change, only 1 person told us they would like to go for more walks, although they did go out with their relatives regularly.

All staff we spoke with confirmed leaders encouraged them to speak up with ideas for improvement and innovation and actively invested time to listen and engage; we also verified this by looking at a range of meetings which had taken place throughout the year.