Abbots Lawn

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

The service was well-led. The provider and registered manager had a number of quality assurance checks in place which were undertaken regularly and effective in identifying any areas of development. These checks had then been used to create an action plan to drive improvement at the service. There was an open culture at the home and staff spoke positively about the level of support they receive from the registered manager and provider. They were regularly given the opportunity to share feedback or ideas to influence how the service was run. This was also the case for people and their relatives who were asked for their views regularly. The provider had a strong drive to ensure well-being of both people who used the service and the staff working there. There was a robust whistleblowing procedure available should this be needed. Staff worked well with external professionals and the home was an active part of the community. Learning and development was also a priority of the provider and they utilised local relationships to continually improve the service.

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 service had a positive culture that was open and friendly. Staff at all levels were approachable and keen to talk about their work. They demonstrated a strong level of commitment, dedication and were very proud to work at the service.

Through observation and discussions with the provider and senior leadership team, it was evident that they wanted to provide a good quality and person-centred service. They placed high value on the wellbeing of people and their staff team. Throughout the inspection they demonstrated a good knowledge of the people living at Abbots Lawn, showing they had taken time to get to know them all individually. People and their relatives were aware of who the senior leadership team were and said they would feel comfortable speaking to them about anything.

Staff spoke highly of the senior leadership team. Staff told us they were able to make suggestions for improvements, and that they were listened to. They told us, “[Provider] is amazing and always keen to hear my ideas.” Staff felt well supported in their roles.

The registered manager promoted an inclusive culture at the service, where ideas from all including people, relatives and staff were listened to and taken onboard. The provider told us they valued their staff members and staff well-being was important to the senior leadership team. The provider visited the home regularly. They told us that they and the senior leadership team had an open door policy and welcomed “staff ideas about how to improve the service.”

Staff were proud of the service and the care they provided. All of the staff spoken with said they would recommend Abbots Lawn as a good place to work. They said they would be happy if a family member received care there. They also said they felt able to raise anything with the provider and felt they would be listened to. Comments from staff included, “I can’t imagine wanting to work anywhere else.”

Processes were in place to allow staff the opportunity to speak up if they felt it was needed. The provider had a robust whistleblowing policy in place which staff demonstrated good knowledge of. Staff had regular meetings to give them space to express any ideas or concerns they may have and were confident their suggestions would be heard and acted upon. The management team have also implemented a suggestion box for both residents and staff to allow a quick anonymous suggestion to be made if desired.

Staff all said they enjoyed working at Abbots Lawn and would recommend it as a place to work. Staff were treated as individuals and their needs were taken into consideration, for example, duties were swapped around so staff could participate in cultural activities which were important to them. Staff told us they felt “respected” and “loved it.” They described working at Abbots Lawn as “rewarding,” and told us, “They [the company] invest in staff.”

There was a strong ethos at the service of treating people as individuals, this extended to the workforce as well. There were robust measures in place to monitor, maintain and promote good mental well-being across the staff group. Staff were encouraged to undertake training in equality and diversity. The nominated individual told us how they “really care about the staff.” They said, “If you look after the staff, then they will look after the residents well.”

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. The service was led by two motivated registered managers. They were committed to providing a service that was person-centred and put people firmly at the centre of all they did. We saw people and staff approaching the registered managers and nominated individual and vice versa. It was apparent that people felt relaxed in their company and that they were used to spending time with them. They knew people and their needs well.

The registered managers and provider had regular contact with the home and good oversight. They undertook a number of regular audits to drive good quality of care in the home. They understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, record safety incidents, concerns and near misses, and report these internally and externally as necessary. The senior leadership team understood their responsibilities under the legislation and ensured that all significant events were notified to the Care Quality Commission. We use this information to monitor the service and ensure they responded appropriately to keep people safe.

People were part of their local community. People and their relatives told us they engaged in a range of local community activities. For example, going to the pub. A relative told us, “[Person] is helped to live their life. Nothing is too much trouble.”

Staff worked well together to enable learning. They participated in external training courses to further develop their knowledge. They worked closely with external professionals and told us they would be confident to contact someone directly without hesitation. Staff also supported people to access community activities and encouraged people to enjoy the local community.

Staff and management engaged well with external partners, this included a variety of health and social care professionals. One partner told us, “They work well with us, they are receptive to our advice and contact us appropriately. No concerns.”

The registered managers and nominated individual were proactive in building relationships with other organisations and into the local community to improve outcomes for people. They told us how they were planning to participate in the local carnival. They had close links with the local authority and utilised any additional training opportunities when they were offered.

People were empowered by staff to contribute to improve the service. People and their relatives had opportunities to feedback their views about the service and quality of the care they received. People and relatives all described the staff and management of the service as open and approachable. Staff spoke passionately about supporting people to give feedback and opportunities which they had to drive improvements and encourage learning from any incidents which occurred.

The provider and registered manager had clear oversight of accidents and incidents. They regularly undertook audits of these to ensure any trends or patterns were identified and addressed. We saw example of lessons learnt following incidents which occurred within the service. Reflective meetings were held with staff to give opportunities to discuss development points to encourage improvement in practice. Learning was, where appropriate, also shared across the providers other services.