Seacroft Court Nursing 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

The provider, registered manager and staff had worked hard to improve the culture and practice within the service. People, their relatives and staff were positive about the how the service was managed and commended the improvement made. Everyone felt their views and opinions were listened to and they were involved in service development. Effective systems were now in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and drive improvement.

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.

Without exception, staff spoke positively about their work and the culture within the service. One member of staff said, “We want excellence and the best for the people who live here, [to be] safe and happy. [I] practice this every day in my role.” Another staff member said, “Its lovely. I cry because I'm happy. I don’t feel like I come to work every day. Seeing how happy residents are; we laugh and sit talking. The resident’s reactions are so different now.” The registered manager spoke passionately about her commitment to driving improvement within the service. She spoke about how they had built a knowledgeable and skilled team with a strong team work ethic to enhance the care people received. She also told us how the provider had supported her, for example, with environmental changes to make life safer and more comfortable for people.

There was a clear vision and values statement set out for the service which all staff understood and worked towards. Staff training supported the vision and values of the service to ensure expectations were embedded in everyday work.

Staff were unanimous in the view that they were well supported by senior staff, the registered manager and the provider and that the service had improved under the leadership of the registered manager. When speaking about the support they received, they made comments such as, “Everything as a whole is so much better now,” and “The difference from a year ago is massive.” One staff member said, “If I feel stressed, I know I'm supported so its ok. We are listened to and feel appreciated [by the registered manager].”

Systems were in place to ensure staff were well trained and supported to carry out their roles effectively. The registered manager was visible around the home and spent time observing the care people received. They offered gentle and supportive guidance to staff when they identified how situations could be better managed. Staff received individual supervision sessions and had regular team meetings which helped to embed good practice and ensure all staff were involved in service development.

All of the staff we spoke with felt they had a voice within the service. They were confident senior staff and the registered manager actively listened and acted upon their views and suggestions. Staff said they were comfortable to raise issues with any of the leadership team and always received feedback on any issues they raised. One staff member described how they had put forward a suggestion for service improvement and told us the registered manager had worked with them to make the improvement.

Systems were in place to ensure staff had the opportunity to voice their views and opinions in an open and supported way. For example, regular supervision sessions and team meetings were carried out. Whistleblowing procedures were in place, well signposted within the service and understood by staff.

Staff told us they felt the registered manager considered everyone’s individuality, including people who lived in the service. They said they were confident the registered manager and provider would support them by making reasonable adjustments to accommodate any additional needs they had.

There were clear processes in place to ensure staff were treated fairly and equally and their rights were upheld. For example, there was an equality and diversity policy in place and recruitment processes followed the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and told us they were involved in service improvement processes. They said the registered manager and the wider leadership team were approachable and readily available to support them with any concerns they had. In addition, they were kept up to date with current good practice to ensure high quality care was sustained. The registered manager and senior staff spoke about the importance of good governance processes in maintaining and developing the service. The registered manager said, “It’s so important for me to know what’s going on [in all areas of the service] and how people are feeling. That way we can sort things out and keep moving forward.”

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. This included a programme of regular audits undertaken by the registered manager and the provider. Improvement plans were in place to address any identified shortfalls and areas for further development of the service. Plans were shared with people who lived in the service, staff and relatives. In addition, the registered manager had introduced topic ‘champions’. These were members of staff who had extra training and knowledge to support the team with embedding and further developing good practice. For example, champions were identified for areas such as infection prevention and control and tissue viability.

People and their relatives were positive in their views about how the registered manager and staff involved them in all aspects of care and service development. A person said, “[Registered manager] is lovely, I can talk to her about anything.” A relative told us, “It is great, really great…. Good things have been happening since the new manager came. There are newsletters and there are forums to give feedback.” Another relative said, “Yes, they do [work in partnership with other agencies], as far as I can tell. The staff got paramedics in etc. Continuity with DN’s [District Nurses] etc.”

The registered manager and staff told us they had good working relationships with other services such as District Nurses and Social Workers. They also described how working in partnership with services such as Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) had benefitted people and improved outcomes for them. For example, reducing risks associated with eating and drinking thus making mealtimes more relaxed and enjoyable for people.

Partner agencies we spoke with were positive about their working relationship with the registered manager and staff in the service and praised their hard work to improve the service.

Processes were in place to maintain effective working relationships with other agencies such as healthcare professionals and local authority commissioners and safeguarding teams.

Staff told us how people, they and the registered manager worked together to learn and make improvements. The registered manager and staff described examples of the improvements made as a result of observing, listening to and discussing what people wanted to make their lives more fulfilling. Examples were given such as the development of quiet sensory areas, an area for gentlemen to pursue their preferred activities and garden café where people could relax and enjoy socialising. The registered manager recognised the importance of continuous learning and improvement. She spoke about her commitment to ensuring learning and development had a positive impact on the service and improved outcomes for people.

Systems were in place to maintain a continuous learning and development culture within the service. As noted earlier in this report, regular meetings with people, their relatives and staff were held to ensure everyone’s views and ideas were considered. Learning and support programmes were in place to maintain and develop staff skills and knowledge. Processes were also in place to learn from events such as accidents or incidents that occurred in the service.