Prince Michael of Kent Court

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

We assessed all quality statements in the well-led key question and found areas of good practice The provider had a series of quality assurance systems in place that included weekly and monthly audits, was accurate and information was accessible to people. Quality monitoring systems were in place to ensure there was a cycle of continuous improvement however these audits did not identify some of the issues we found. The home worked in partnership with a team of local “Friends” local community groups, professionals to ensure people’s needs were met. Staff overwhelmingly told us they enjoyed working at the home and they felt supported by the registered manager. There had been a series of whistleblowing concerns which had significantly impacted the management team. The registered manager and management team had worked hard to investigate all concerns whilst providing ongoing care and support to people.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

There was a positive culture at the home. One staff member told us, " The culture of the home is good we are an honest hard-working team, and we are very supportive team, we are a big family.

Staff were happy working at the home, and this was evident by the number of years staff stayed working for the provider. They felt it was a good place to work and people were cared for in a kind and supportive way.

People and their relatives spoke well of the management team, one person said, " The manager is very nice, very pleasant, always available to be seen if her door is open. " Staff also spoke very positively and the registered manager, comments included, "She is amazing, and “She is brilliant, she was so kind and was supportive and has a lovely smile, she is a nice person".

There was a clear management structure in place and the registered manager provided support to her deputy managers. However, it was not always evident that the management team had support from senior managers when concerns were raised by anonymous whistle-blowers. It was evident that this was having a significant drain on morale across the management team. We raised this with senior managers during our feedback and the provider told us they would take prompt action to address this.

There were appropriate systems to support staff, and others, to speak up when they had concerns. The registered manager described the measures that were in place to support staff to speak up and raise concerns if they had them. Staff told us they understood how to raise concerns. One staff member said, “I am not afraid to speak up or raise concerns “.

Before the assessment there had been a series of whistleblowing concerns which were raised anonymously. It was evident that despite the challenges with the many whistleblowers and the impact this has on management time and resource whilst investigations were completed, the management team had continued to ensure people’s needs were met. All concern was investigated in line with the providers policy.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. Central to the running of the home was a diversity calendar which recorded the religious, cultural and historical dates that were significant for the staff team. Staff told us the provider was supportive they were a Menopause friendly provider, and this was important for care staff. The aim was to create a workplace where everyone understood menopause and staff felt comfortable discussing it and there were regular opportunities for staff to meet and get support should they require it.

The provider had developed an area in the home that staff could sit and relax, it was outdoors but offered shelter and staff used this area to sit during their break time. Staff told us that the registered manager offered flexible working arrangements to ensure there was an equitable home and work life balance. Throughout the year, the management had established a staff swap shop which was developed which helped reduced waste and promoted a more sustainable lifestyle, but it was also a fun opportunity for staff to engage with each other and their lifestyles.

The provider had oversight of the quality of care that people received. There were regular audits carried out by the management team and there was a quality assurance team who had oversight of the service. We did identify shortfalls in relation to staff recruitment checks, medicines and care plans. We discussed this with the registered manager who explained that a new care planning software had brought significant time pressures on the management team as team leaders were still familiarising themselves with the system.

It was also evident to the inspection team that the management team were working to their maximum capacity, and this meant there was simply not enough management time to do all the tasks required. We brought this to the attention of senior managers following the inspection and they told us, there was an extra member of staff being recruited to support the management team.

Prince Michael of Kent Court is a home for Freemasons and their relatives, and the home has a team of volunteers called Friends of Michael of Kent Court, there role was to provide befriending to people living at the home but also to fundraise for certain events and help maintain links with the local communities.

The home had a programme of activities, and some were hosted by local sports club.

The registered manager spoke about the importance of these partnerships.

There was a learning culture at the home which focused on ensuring staff had the necessary skills to care for people. Staff told us they felt supported. There were regular opportunities for the registered manager to meet with staff and discuss the needs of people and to share ideas and reflect on staff practice and discuss possible new ways of working to support people. Staff told us they received regular support from the managers. The management team had changed how they referred to supervision to " It’s all about you” as they felt supervision, “Could be seen as negative and it is a supportive conversation, we believe this change of name to be more person centered". One member of staff told us, “You will not get everything perfect, but it is how you deal with it - that is what is important, and the management are good. "

The provider was committed to ongoing continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation. They had recently introduced a new care planning system. Although this was time consuming whilst staff became confident in the system, it was widely recognised it would continue to improve the ongoing care people received.