Helen Ley 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 assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment 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 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider 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. All managers and staff demonstrated a commitment to delivering high standards of care through a multi-disciplinary approach. One staff member told us, “We are all different and handle things differently, but I like to think everyone who works here wants to make a difference." Staff described good communication and teamwork which enabled them to work flexibly and support each other at busy times of the day. Comments included: "I think our care team work very hard supporting our individuals. We have a joined-up approach where if a staff member is free and working in another area of the home, they will answer a call bell and support those individuals" and “If I ask a carer to help me support a person back to bed, they will never say no or tell me to ask somebody else.” Staff spoke of a culture of support and inclusion. One member of staff said, “I feel really proud of how well we work together as a team. If someone has a hard day you know you'll be looked out for. People really care about each other and for the residents.” The provider’s aims for the service were understood by staff who celebrated people’s achievements in their rehabilitation journey.

The provider 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. There was a designated management team with specific roles and responsibilities. The provider and registered manager supported the management team to carry out their roles. Staff found the management team to be visible and available to them. They knew who to go to for support and where to seek advice. Staff described the registered manager as approachable and engaged fully with the needs of people and the staff team. They told us the registered manager expected high standards but in return was willing to listen to them and provide the training and support they needed to be effective in their role. One staff member told us, “[Registered manager] is very nice and very approachable and if you want to talk to him about anything he is alright. He is very supportive.” Staff had regular opportunities to meet with their direct line manager and discuss their wellbeing and any support they needed. A senior member of staff with management responsibilities explained, "It is about 2-way communication, it is not just about what we want from our staff team but what staff want from the management team and for them to be listened to and any concerns dealt with appropriately. It is not about what they haven’t done but developing practices and guiding and supporting them."

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. All staff described a culture of being able to speak to their colleagues and managers, confident they would be listened to. One staff member told us, "There are so many places you can't express yourself, but you can easily express yourself here." A senior member of staff described the importance of providing feedback, so staff knew their concerns had been responded to. They explained, “I certainly feel staff can come to us and raise any concerns and they often do, and it is feeding back to those staff, so they understand their concerns are taken seriously, big or small." The provider had processes to support staff to speak up. This included supervision meetings, handovers, staff meetings and a whistleblowing policy.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. Staff told us the provider promoted and supported equality and diversity within the workforce and introduced reasonable adjustments when required. For example, one member of staff told us their role had been redefined to accommodate their health needs. Another member of staff described flexibility in their working patterns to enable them to study for further qualifications. Staff were confident discrimination would not be tolerated by the provider or the management team. One staff member told us, “All the carers are from different backgrounds and there is no discrimination.” The provider had policies to support workforce equality, diversity and inclusion and these were available and accessible to all staff.

The provider 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 acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. Lead roles had been given to named staff in areas such as infection control, medication, and wound care. These staff carried out regular checks and audits in their designated area and provided a point of contact for other staff to go to for advice or support. Checks were used to monitor risks and performance and to understand where improvements were required. The registered manager maintained oversight of checks and audits. They prepared a report which was presented to monthly meetings of the senior management committee who had responsibility for running the service under the direction of the Board of Trustees. The senior management committee monitored the standards of clinical care, quality and safety and ensured, where necessary, action had been taken to address shortfalls identified.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. The provider was working with the local clinical commissioning group, therapists and specialist healthcare professionals to improve the care of people with neurological conditions and acquired brain injuries. Partner agencies described a commitment to working in a multi-disciplinary way to provide person-centred care. One healthcare professional told us, “I have found that the MDT approach at Helen Ley is focused on helping residents meet their care needs, rehabilitation goals and social activity/participation needs in a holistic and individually tailored manner. Our unit has good links with the MDT and liaison between our services has enhanced the residents’ experience.” Another healthcare professional commented on how the commitment of the staff team had, “Resulted in great results in the management of quite complex problems, improvement of independence and minimisation of risks of patients (who previously were very dependant) and minimisation of complaints. I always feel that my input there is valued and used in the best way. I always value their views and assessments. They are reliable, very professional and well balanced.”

The provider 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 contributed to safe, effective practice and research. The provider reviewed people’s care and developed case studies to identify areas of good and outstanding practice and where learning had been identified. Staff were encouraged to explore and consider new ways of working to develop their practice and ensure positive outcomes for people. The provider, registered manager and therapy staff attended national conferences to share their experiences and to explore innovation and developments in the treatment of adults with an acquired brain injury or neurological condition. A healthcare professional told us, "[The provider] uses my time to deliver teaching to their nursing and therapy staff. They are also research active with a number of current projects, and have presented their work at a number of conferences in the last year."