Alston House

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 service 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 registered manager took steps to ensure staff understood and demonstrated the services vision and culture in the care and support they provided to people. Staff and leaders told us there had been a change in culture at the service since the registered manager started and this had greatly improved.

The service 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. A staff member told us, “[Registered Manager] leads by example. She shows us what to do with practical examples and with guidance as she has gone through the same route and position. I value her experience and I love the way she leads.”

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff told us they felt confident to speak up and the registered manager would listen and respond appropriately. Staff attended regular meetings together to share information, ideas or concerns. A staff member said, “They [leaders] do listen. I can talk to them about anything.”

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. The registered manager had taken steps to ensure that all staff had equal opportunities to develop in their career and undertake qualifications in health and social care.

The service 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 act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate. There were effective systems in place to monitor the service and where improvements had been identified, there was a system in place to report this and monitor progress. For example, upon review of care plans and care records, leaders recognised staff needed further guidance and support in ensuring records provided further detail of the care and support they provided to people. The registered manager had a plan in place to provide workshops to staff to improve this area.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. We received positive feedback from health and social care professionals that had worked with the service and its staff. One professional told us how they had provided feedback in regard to a person’s diet and this was promptly addressed and implemented after a discussion with the registered manager.

The service 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 contribute to safe, effective practice and research. The registered manager attended regular meetings with other registered managers within the service group to review and discuss any learning and improvements across the services. The registered manager was passionate in describing their ambition to provide staff with further training and development. For example, senior staff were given monitoring and auditing responsibilities overseen by the registered manager to develop their knowledge and skills. The registered manager had an ongoing service development plan in place.