Chalkhill Road

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. The managers were visible in the service, approachable and took a genuine interest in what people, staff, family and other professionals had to say. Staff felt respected, supported and valued by the managers. Most staff had worked in the service for a long time and highlighted the support they received from the managers and the opportunities for professional development. The managers were receptive to challenge and welcomed fresh perspectives.

Leaders understood the context in which the service delivered care, treatment and support. They did embody the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders did have the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively, and did so with integrity, openness and honesty. The service -had been consistently managed by an experienced registered manager who was supported by an operation manager. Staff spoke positively of the leadership and support. A member of staff said, “The [registered] manager and deputy are excellent and are always there to help.” People, relatives, external community professionals and staff who worked at the care home expressed being satisfied with the management and how people were supported. A relative said, “The service is well managed as far as I know.” People similarly to relatives spoke very positive about the managers. A person said, [Name] is a very good manager, he will always support you if you need any help.”

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Feedback from people living in the care home, their relatives and staff was sought formally and informally and used to develop the service. For example, the provider routinely used care plan reviews, team meetings, residents’ meetings and stakeholder satisfaction surveys to gather people’s views about the care home.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. The staff team were representative of the local community and also reflected the diverse mix of people using the service. Staff told us their views were respected by managers, and they felt valued. Comments included, “Chalkhill is a great place to work, we have regular meetings to discuss and suggest the service and ultimately make improvements for the people who live here.”

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. Thorough audits were routinely conducted by the provider. These included regular quality assurance checks with people and their next of kin. Client satisfaction surveys were also completed. A quality assurance audit was in place which included a staff file, care plan and care notes audit. The outcome of all these audits were analysed at regular intervals to identify performance shortfalls, learn lessons, and develop action plans to improve the service people received. The registered manager understood their responsibilities in relation to their regulatory requirements around notifiable incidents.

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 worked in partnership with various community health and social care professionals and external agencies including, local authorities, GPs, social workers, local mental health services, and the CQC. Managers told us they regularly consulted these external bodies and professionals, welcomed their views and advice, and shared best practice ideas with the whole staff team. The registered manager worked together with other care providers to discuss and learn good care practice which helped the service to improve and achieve better outcomes for people who used the service.

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 outcome of all the audits and checks the provider carried out were always analysed to identify performance shortfalls and learn lessons. The registered manager spoke about some ideas for the development of the service including, transitioning to supported living, which had been discussed with people who used the service, relatives and local authority. A relative said, “My relative and myself have been given information when this process will begin or how long it will be before returning to the new building. My relative wants to stay in the Wembley area. He knows the area well and feels safe. On my next visit I plan to discuss this with the manager at the home.”