Hawkhurst House

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• 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

People, staff and others had regular opportunities to raise any concerns, make suggestions, raise complaints or offer any praise. These opportunities included regular meetings with staff, people and relatives. People told us they felt listened to and that their suggestions were acted on by the management team who they saw on a regular basis. People told us they thought the service was well managed and the manager was approachable. There was a clear management structure in place and nurses and care staff understood their responsibilities to meet statutory requirements. There was a stable management team who were passionate and led by example. Staff told us there was an open culture and they felt confident to speak with the management team at any time. Staff said the management team were approachable and supportive. There were a range of checks and audits in place to identify any concerns and make any improvements. The audits were completed by a member of the management team. Any shortfalls were discussed at the daily meetings and were addressed promptly.

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 told us teamwork was good and without exception, they enjoyed working in Hawkhurst House. They said the nurses and their colleagues were supportive. They told us they had good training opportunities and they attended training sessions regularly. Staff told us the culture was open and friendly and the manager had an open-door policy. Staff were confident and comfortable approaching the management team for any reason.

The service was warm and welcoming and had a homely feel. The registered manager had worked hard to instil an inclusive and friendly culture and an environment that was home for the people who used the service. Every element of the service was focused around the individuals who lived there and their families. The registered manager promoted family relationships and was keen to ensure they could maintain their roles, for example, as sons, daughters, husbands and wives. People and their relatives all spoke incredibly highly of the registered manager. A visiting professional who visited the service in January 2023 commented on the person centred nature of the service people received.

Staff told us they felt involved in decisions made about the service and felt comfortable making suggestions. Staff were invited to regular meetings where they were encouraged to participate. The monthly staff surveys were consistently positive and supported the observation that staff were happy and felt involved.

People told us they were involved in decisions made about the service, they attended meetings regularly with the manager and separate meetings with the chef. People told us they made suggestions which were implemented; they said they felt listened to. Relatives were also invited to the regular meetings and people and relatives received a newsletter each month, which kept them up to date with various aspects of the service. The management team had worked hard to engage with relatives and residents to ensure any concerns about the service are discussed at an early stage so that issues can be dealt with before they reach the stage of a formal complaint. Relatives meetings took place every 3 months and was one opportunity to raise concerns, but relatives also knew they could e-mail, phone or drop in at any time.

Staff told us the management team were approachable and supportive. They had regular supervision sessions where they were encouraged to make suggestions for their personal and professional development.

Staff we spoke to knew about the whistleblowing policy but said they would have no hesitation in speaking with a nurse or a manager if they had any concerns. Staff were confident that if they reported something, appropriate actions would be taken.

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.

There was a clear management structure in place and nurses and care staff understood their responsibilities to meet statutory requirements. There was a stable management team.

The registered manager met daily with nurses and other heads of departments to ensure key messages were shared in a timely manner. A daily management report was produced centrally and send to the registered manager, and this formed the basis for the meetings. Topics included outstanding supervisions, when care plan reviews were due, progress on clinical indicators such as infections, wounds, weight management, safeguarding concerns or falls. These meetings offered the opportunity to share any lessons learned with the team. Meeting notes were comprehensive. A robust quality monitoring process was in place with a variety of audits undertaken on a regular basis, for example, infection control, medicines, health and safety. Audit activity was overseen by a regional compliance manager, who also visited the service regularly. The registered manager has access to a live KPI dashboard which enabled timely oversight of monitoring and compliance data. The dashboard draws data from a variety of other systems used by the service. The provider has recently introduced a resident health alert facility. This analyses in real time the information being entered into care records and monitors trends and alerts, for example, fluid intake or bowel movements. This type of artificial intelligence can, over time, learn trends and patterns. This system was in its infancy. The registered manager had submitted statutory notifications to CQC appropriately and in a timely manner.

We did not look at Partnerships and communities during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.