Tilford Care & 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

There was a positive and inclusive culture within the service. The management team were visible and approachable, and staff were acknowledged and rewarded for their hard work and dedication. Quality governance systems were in place which identified any shortfalls which were then rectified. Feedback was gathered from people, relatives and staff to further aid improvements to the service. There were strong partnerships with external agencies and professionals.

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.

Staff were hugely proud to work for the service and of the care they provided to people. One staff member told us, "It is homely. We want them to feel at home, and the families become part of the home too. They are really treated with respect and dignity. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff." Another staff member said, “"It is always about the residents; the residents are our first priority." The registered manager explained to us, “We want the place to be a home, we want to learn every day on how to continuously improve the service we provide here. We keep relatives updated and we are very transparent. There’s good team working with the whole staffing team.”

Staff were acknowledged for their hard work. For example, staff were encouraged to nominate their peers for appreciation. A winner each month would receive a present, thank you cards, flowers, sweets, and a certificate. Gift bags were awarded to those who were nominated but did not win.

Staff felt the management tea were supportive and approachable. Feedback included, “The management give us full support”, "They are nice people, the management are great", and “The management is super supportive.” The registered manager confirmed her office door was always open unless a private discussion was taking place. They said this meant, “family, relatives, people, professionals, anyone walks through the front door they see my door open and I often greet people as well if I’m not on the phone. I also introduced a 4.00 pm to 1.00 am shift for myself so I was visible for night staff and worked on Saturday to ensure I was visible for other relatives that may only visit at the weekend.”

The management team conducted a daily walkaround of the service to speak to people, relatives and staff.

Staff confirmed they knew how to speak up or whistle-blow should they feel the need to. One staff member told us, “If I had concerns, first I would report to my senior, the nurse in charge, or the management. If it was the management involved, I would have to go external. We are here to protect [people], to keep them safe.”

A whistleblowing policy was available to staff, which gave them guidance of who they could contact should they feel the need to speak up.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

The management team told us of the journey that had taken since our last inspection to ensure the governance systems of the service had improved. The registered manager told us, “We wanted to see a culture change, and We have worked diligently around quality monitoring. We are making sure we continue to improve the level of care. It is constant but important to keep oversight.” Senior staff members were responsible with monitoring quality within the service. One staff member told us, “We do spot checks - we check they are providing care safely, following the care plan, communicating with the resident, doing things in the correct way."

Quality monitoring systems were in place to drive improvements within the service. Regular audits undertaken included call bell times, care plans, health and safety, medicines, and an overall quality governance report. Where shortfalls were identified within an audit, follow up actions were completed in an adequate time frame.

People’s wellbeing was improved by the service working in partnership with external providers and professionals. On the day of our assessment, a hairdresser was at the service who knew people well and was able to engage in friendly conversations with them. A nurse practitioner was also on site, who spent one day a week reviewing people’s health needs.

Staff had developed methods to work closer with relatives and he local community. These included forming a relatives' group, in which the aim was for relatives to support each other through this stage in their lives. The service had also started hosting dementia cafes. The registered manager shared their pride in working closely with external organisations. They told us, “We’ve really won confidence back with the local authority by reporting everything. We try to be transparent and work with everybody. We always have done this.”

Partner agencies were positive about their working relationship with the service. One external partner told us, “I absolutely love it here. It’s such a lovely home and I love coming here. All the staff are wonderful and approachable. I can go to them with any problems.” Another professional told us, “I have found them to be very professional, accommodating, organised, reliable and transparent. I have a good working relationship with this home.”

A hairdresser visited the service on a regular basis. The provider had a dedicated salon onsite so people were able to have their hair cut without having to leave the service, This meant those with mobility issues were still able to access this service.

Staff were supported to develop and contribute to improvements within the service. One way this was demonstrated was through developing their professional skills. One staff member described how the provider had paid for her to complete a professional 3-year course. Another staff member confirmed they were encouraged to contribute their ideas for improvements, telling us “We have team meetings at least every couple of months. We encourage them to bring any new ideas that would benefit the residents.” Various sessions on different topics within care were put on for staff, such as fall prevention and communication. These were followed up with ‘mini workshops’ to test staff’s understanding.

The management team took regular opportunities to request feedback from people, relatives and staff. The feedback received was collated to inform improvements within the service.