Woodside Grange Care 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 service was well-led and has been rated good. At the last inspection the provider was rated as requires improvement. Significant changes have been made to systems and the culture of the service to promote person-centred care to people. Leaders were capable, transparent and compassionate and were well thought of by people and staff alike. Clear responsibilities and governance processes were in place to help identify current areas of risk and drive-up improvements.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff and leadership understood a shared vision and strategy which had been developed through a structured planning process in collaboration with people who use the service and external partners. The management team confirmed that the culture within the service had improved, they told us, "We don’t promote a hierarchy system here, as a management team we want to be very visible, the home feels lighter and happier, and the registered manager promotes that by being out on the floors overseeing everything."

Processes were in place to help staff and leaders demonstrate a positive, compassionate, listening culture, focused on learning and improvement. The registered manager told us they were really committed to training; mandatory training levels had been above 90% throughout the whole year and the management team actively promoted further learning for all staff.

Staff confirmed management had the experience, capacity, capability to ensure the organisational vision was delivered, and risks were well managed. Staff told us leaders were visible and led by example. They said, "We went through some changes that weren’t working, it wasn’t great, but we have really come through as a team, the management knew what needed to change and have done it."

Processes were in place to recognise and reward positive staff practices, which evidenced leaders were compassionate and inclusive. The management team promoted in-house development such as management courses for staff who wish to become registered managers in the future.

Staff told us management acted with openness, honesty and transparency. Staff told us they felt encouraged to raise concerns and that the manager operated an open-door policy and always welcomed their ideas and feedback. Staff told us they had no concerns about speaking with the manager about any aspect of their job or any concerns they had. The registered manager told us the home promotes an in-house service called ‘My person, my people’, this provides all staff with a specific person that they can go to for help or advice to which more than 150 members of staff currently use.

Processes were in place to help ensure when concerns were raised, leaders investigated, and lessons were shared and acted on. The service operated a duty of candour, when something went wrong, people received a timely apology, and actions were taken to prevent the same happening again.

Staff told us they felt valued and respected in their roles, the were well-supported by the registered manager both professionally and personally. Staff were comfortable asking for reasonable adjustments to be made if required.

Processes were in place which helped to protect the rights of staff under the Equality Act. Risk assessments and any reasonable adjustments measures were in staff’s personnel folders. This helped to create a more equitable and inclusive organisation.

The management team told us information was used effectively to monitor and improve the quality of care and that mandatory quality frameworks, recognised standards and best practice guidance were used to help improve equity in experience and outcomes for people. The area manager explained that since the last inspection, governance processes had changed in direct response to the shortfalls in practice which had been identified.

Since the last inspection substantial improvements had been made and governance systems were fully embedded within the service; the management team undertook a range of audits to assess care quality and safety such as care plans, environmental risk assessments, and welfare checks. Systems to manage current and future performance and risks to the quality of the service, allowed a proportionate approach to managing risk. Audits and governance processes such as the analysis of accidents and incidents, helped ensure the service had an accurate picture of risk to the safety and quality of the service at any one time.

People’s experiences confirmed they felt staff enabled them to access communities to enable better outcomes. People told us they received support from other health and social care professionals. One relative told us, "I felt we weren’t all working together for [person] but now we have a lovely environment, staff are brilliant, and lessons have been learnt."

The management team confirmed they were open and transparent, and collaborated with relevant external stakeholders and agencies. They told us, "The occupational therapists can really support others to be independent, we work hard together to ensure everyone who wants to get involved can be."

The service worked with partners to ensure people received better outcomes. For example, we saw how the service engaged with the nurse practitioner at the local GP to help access the right care to meet people’s needs.

Processes were in place to help people receive the best possible outcome with regards to their care and support. People’s recorded care evidenced how staff worked with external partners to help ensure people received the right care and support to meet their needs in a holistic way.

There was an exceptionally strong focus on continuous learning and improvement and keeping up-to date with best practice to ensure people's needs could be met. The registered manager promoted continuous learning, and this was evident for staff and people to see.

The management team were highly committed to improvement and innovation, and the service was involved in multiple programs to promote this; the provider developed an initiative working in partnership with Northeast Ambulance Service and Ageing Well that by having lifting cushions in all of the providers care homes this prevented long lies, reduced paramedic attendance and prevented unnecessary hospital admissions. Following on from this they started the paramedic placement scheme which enables new recruits from Northeast Ambulance Service to fulfil a one-week placement in Woodside Grange to raise their awareness and improve their understanding of care homes in practice i.e. how to support older people, how to build trust and communicate with them effectively. The service has also worked alongside North Tees NHS Foundation Trust to develop a head injury pathway to further reduce unnecessary conveyancing to hospital following a fall as CT scans are not routinely carried out. Woodside Grange is part of Enrich, this involves enhanced research within care homes, they promote the use of oral study, Makaton and Dementia dining experience with the aim of ensuring dementia friendly environments to which the home has effectively implemented. The provider had also secured levy transfers from NHS Trusts to support the nurse development programme. The management team created opportunities for their workforce to train to become registered nursing associates and have 2 qualified at Woodside Grange and a further 4 on programme and have committed to support individuals wishing to enrol on the programme in the future.