The Willows Home Care North East

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. This was the first inspection for this service. This key question has been rated 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 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. The staff team consistently strived to ensure the service put people first. A person said, “They treat us like family and nothing is ever too much bother.”

The registered manager was also the director and nominated individual and they actively promoted an inclusive, respectful and person-centred approach to delivering care. Staff understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the person-centred culture and values of the organisation. The registered manager had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty. Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and really encouraged them to go the extra mile. A staff member said, “[Registered manager’s name] is always available if we need anything and even answers our and people’s calls when on holiday. They are fantastic to work for and really want people to have a really good service.”

The registered manager fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. People, relatives and staff felt confident to raise concerns with them and felt these would be listened to and acted upon. A relative said, “[Registered manager’s name] is so helpful. They are easy to talk to and always listen to what we say. They really run a good service and have wonderful staff who know how to provide good care.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. The provider and management team valued diversity and ensured they followed best practice guidance.

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.

The service clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. People reported they found the staff closely tailored the work to individual’s needs and had supported them to experience positive outcomes.

The registered manager 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. Staff were actively encouraged to work with people in ways which aimed to improve outcomes for them and allow each individual to experience a good quality of life.