Weatherstones 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

The governance and management of the service was effective. This was the view of relatives exclusively who stated that the main aims of the service were to meet their loved one’s needs. Quality audits were effective in driving improvement. The service had a shared value to promote the independence of people living with autism/ learning disabilities and to ensure that they had a positive quality of life. Leaders were capable, experienced and fully committed to the shared values of the organisation. The service worked in partnership effectively with other agencies and stakeholders

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, manager and staff had a shared vision to effectively supported people living with autism or a learning disability. This vision drove staff to provide good support to people yet with a strong emphasis on including the preferences and choices people had in their everyday lives. A supportive culture had been developed enabling people and their families to feel safe and able to decide how their daily lives.

The provider’s organisational values were in alignment with CQC’s ‘right support, right care, right culture’ principles.

Staff told us they were supported by knowledgeable, committed and caring leaders. They felt supported. In turn the manager felt supported by the organisation as a whole and felt that the providers' values aligned with their own professional values.

The manager demonstrated effective oversight of the service through audits but also through having a working relationship with staff and a detailed understanding of the needs of people. A culture of openness, transparency and commitment had been fostered.

Staff felt supported and able to raise any concerns about care practice with no fear of reprisals. A whistleblowing policy was in place as well as information for them regarding external agencies they could speak with if they were concerned. Staff had no concerns about care practice and felt satisfaction from the work they did. They told us, "I love this job", "I really enjoy this work", and "I feel confident to speak up for my rights but most importantly the rights of people we support".

Reviews and other processes enabled people or their families to discuss any concerns or problems that they had. There was a strong emphasis within the service on upholding the rights of people and acting as advocates for them.

Staff told us there was a good mix of skills, experience and diversity within the staff team. This had benefitted the people being supported. Staff felt they had acted as advocates for people and a culture of encouraging them to put forward positive suggestions was in place. Staff felt as though there were treated equally and fairly.

The person-centred values of the service meant that processes within the service valued staff's views and contributions. As a result, an equitable culture had developed. There was always opportunities for staff to express their views.

There was a clear and experienced management structure within the organisation which ,as a result, provided a good standard of support to people using the service. This had led to positive outcomes for people.

The service 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. Quality assurance audits were effective and drove improvements forward. Audits covered all aspects of the quality of support provided and identified areas for improvement. These audits included people, their families, the staff team and other professionals.

Relatives felt fully involved in the support of their relations. They felt that they had become equal partners. They felt that they were consulted about all aspects of support provided and had become part of a network with other relatives, meeting regularly and informally. This informal network had been fostered by the manager.

External partners confirmed that the manager team had fostered an open and co-operative relationship with them. They commented that the service was well managed and responded well to providing information. They had no concerns about the quality of support provided.

The provider understood and recognised their duty to work in partnership with external partners, people and their families. This enabled services to work effectively and smoothly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement

Staff described the systems in place for quality assurance and improvement. These included regular staff supervision and staff meetings.

The registered Manager shared evidence of regular audits in place to ensure people received good care. These included the views of everyone and was in partnership with all.