Chestnut 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 requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to 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. Staff said they enjoyed working at the home, felt well supported in their role and had the training they needed. A recent staff survey was seen to be positive. People and relatives knew who the management team were and felt able to speak with them if they wanted to.

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. The provider supported their leaders with development and leaders told us they felt supported within their roles. The management team were visible within the home and staff said all were approachable.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff said they were able to raise any issues or concerns with the registered or deputy managers if they needed to and said they would be listened to and acted upon. Staff meetings were regularly held, with staff saying they were able to raise any ideas or issues they had. Information on how staff could raise concerns was available.

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. Staff said they were treated fairly, and everyone worked well together as a team. Staff completed training in equality and diversity.

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. A governance system was in place, with any actions identified being completed. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Incidents and accidents were reported appropriately to the local authority and CQC when required.

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. For example, referrals were made to external professionals where this was required for people. We received positive feedback from medical professionals working with the home.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. The management team worked well with the local authority quality teams. Recommendations from local authority visits and audits had been implemented.