Oakleigh Lodge

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 requires improvement. At this assessment 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 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 management team had a process in place to engage with people, relatives and staff and shared information and discussed improvements and concerns. We saw evidence of regular team meetings that were used to discuss values and culture and provided staff with opportunities to raise concerns or give feedback.

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. Staff consistently praised the support given to them by the registered manager and praised the improvement they had implemented since our last inspection. One staff member said, “[Registered Manager] is excellent, they achieved more in 2 weeks than previous managers had in 2 years and continue to do so.” We observed people react and engage with the registered manager warmly and positively which showed they were known and accessible within the home and had built trusting relationships with people as well as staff.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. People and staff knew how to raise their concerns and told us they would be confident to do so. When asked what they would do if something was wrong or upsetting them, one person said, “I tell them, they write it down.” We saw evidence of this in practice and actions the registered manager had taken to address these concerns. Where needed the registered manager was supported by a comprehensive complaints and whistleblowing policy and received assistance from other leaders within the organisation to ensure processes were fair and transparent.

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. All staff we spoke to told us they felt they were treated fairly and equally. The provider had policies in place to ensure people and staff with protected characteristics were upheld, respected and valued.

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 registered manager used a robust and comprehensive set of quality management tools and audits which were successful in identifying concerns and improvements as well as good practice. Where possible people living at the home were supported and encouraged to be a part of this ongoing audit and review process. This ensured Oakleigh Lodge continuously strived to meet people needs, safely, timely and in a person-centred way that focused on people and staff’s aspirations and goals.

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. Care plans evidenced partnership working with other professionals to deliver person-centred care. The local authority gave positive feedback about the ongoing working relationship between them, the staff and registered manager and they supported and acknowledged the improvements made since our last inspection.

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. Staff were encouraged and supported to increase their skills and knowledge with personalised development plans. There was a comprehensive package which included nationally recognised qualification. We saw evidence of succession planning and carer progression. For example, one staff member we spoke with had been supported to become a senior care worker and had a self-development plan to aid with further career progression in the future.