Castlewood Road

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 - we rated this key question as good. Leaders supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that is safe, integrated and person-centred. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives. This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area.

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 registered manager understood the requirements of the duty of candour, to be open and honest about where the service needed to improve. The registered manager was also the director of the service. They were supported by a deputy manager and another registered person to oversee the day to day running of the service. They told us they were confident in being able to establish a service with a shared vision, strategy and culture. They had a good understanding of transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity, inclusion and engagement. They acknowledged the challenges and the needs of people and communities in order to meet these. The registered manager said, "Our aim is for our service users get a good quality service, and we help them maintain a good quality life and wellbeing, respecting their choices and goals." The provider promoted a culture of openness and transparency which had been communicated to staff. There were regular meetings for staff and their views were listened to. Staff told us they felt valued, and their views were respected. One staff member told us, “It is really good to work for the service. There is a positive culture, a nice environment with good management.”

The management team ensured policies reflected current guidance and best practice. They carried out welfare checks, spot checks and audits to make sure people were being provided support to the standards expected. In accordance with their legal responsibilities, the provider had informed us about significant events which occurred at the service within required timescales.

The provider promoted an ethos of openness, integrity and transparency in the workplace. There were regular meetings for staff and their views were encouraged. The registered manager ensured staff were communicated with and included so that the care, treatment and support that was delivered embodied the culture and values of the organisation. The registered manager had the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively.

The provider encouraged staff and supported them in their roles to deliver care that met people's changing needs. Staff were provided with ongoing supervision. They were able to discuss their performance and any issues with their managers. They were provided the tools and skills needed to carry out their work effectively. Feedback from people and relatives indicated staff were kind and compassionate towards them. Staff told us they respected people's privacy and dignity. They bought into the culture of the service and said that managers were capable, caring and compassionate in their work. This ensured people were treated well.

Staff told us they would speak up if they had any concerns about the quality of care provided. Staff felt confident they would be listened to and treated fairly if they raised concerns. A staff member said, “I believe the manager would listen and respect me if I had concerns.” Staff had individual and group platforms to share concerns or queries, such as in supervision meetings and staff meetings. This gave them the opportunity to speak up if they needed to. People and relatives could contact the service at any time to speak with managers. The registered manager was available to speak with relatives and listen to concerns they raised. Records showed they took action to address issues. Relatives knew how to make complaints and felt there was a culture of openness and honesty.

There was a policy for whistleblowing. This meant there were processes for staff to follow should they wish to speak with external agencies such as the local authority, the CQC or the police, if they were unable to report concerns about people’s safety to the provider or if concerns were not acted upon by the provider.

Staff told us they were supported with their specific needs and the culture of the service promoted equality and equity for people. Staff told us the provider had created an inclusive environment. A staff member said, “It's nice to work with people from different backgrounds. We can learn a lot."

Recruitment, disciplinary and capability processes were fair and were reviewed to ensure there was no disadvantage based on staff's specific protected equality characteristics. The provider had processes to ensure an inclusive workplace where staff were treated and supported as individuals. Staff told us they were able to ask for reasonable adjustments to be made to their working patterns for specific needs, for example if they had family commitments or religious needs. Staff told us they were able to take breaks and their health and wellbeing was taken seriously by managers.

Leaders and staff understood their individual roles and responsibilities and what was expected of them. Staff had confidence in the registered manager. They felt supported and valued. Staff comments about the governance included, "The company is committed to learning and development"; "Golden Crown provides a collaborative environment that encourages innovation and creativity"; "The team is incredibly supportive" and "It is inclusive and a great place to work." Staff had access to technology to complete electronic records. Some people continued to have paper copies of their support plan and associated documents to make it easier for them. This included how make a complaint or report abuse. Leaders analysed all feedback people provided and identified any patterns or trends. Records showed all concerns were fully documented.

At our last inspection the provider had failed to implement robust systems to demonstrate that there was adequate oversight of the service. This was a breach of regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Enough improvement had been made at this inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 17. The service had systems and processes in place to ensure people received a good standard of service. There were clear and effective governance systems on risk, performance and outcomes. For example audits of care plans, medicines and infection control systems took place. The management team had an effective oversight of the service. Daily notes were completed which gave an overview of the care people had received and captured any changes in people's health and well-being. Notifications were submitted to external agencies such as the CQC and the Local Authority as required. There were systems and processes to ensure that data is kept confidential.

Due to the range of people’s needs and learning disabilities, the provider worked with other social care agencies and learning disability professionals and advocates to maintain people’s health and wellbeing. Staff told us they worked in collaboration with external professionals.

The provider worked well with professionals and partners. Local authority health and social care professionals had no concerns about the service. One professional said, “The service is managing well and supporting people. We have no concerns at present."

The provider was working in partnership with people’s relatives, health professionals, local authority departments and various groups and services within the community to ensure people were supported appropriately. The registered manager understood the importance of collaborating and working in partnership. We saw examples of shared information and learning with partners to ensure people were supported effectively and there was continuous improvement.

There were regular meetings for staff and their views were encouraged. Staff told us they felt valued, and their views were respected. Meetings were used to identify areas for improvement in staff performance such as better timekeeping and recording of notes. Staff told us there was a culture of learning in the service to encourage staff to always try and improve. A staff member said, "I look forward to coming to work everyday. I feel appreciated."

The management team spent time working with staff to identify areas that may need improvement. The registered manager ensured they always kept up to date with changing guidance. The management team ensured staff were adhering to current guidance and best practice by carrying out spot checks. They also ensured policies had been updated to reflect these changes.