Dene Park House

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

At the last inspection the service was not meeting all the legal requirements of regulation 17, good governance. At this inspection the service was no longer in breach of this requirement as improvements had been made. Governance systems were in place which had been effective in driving improvements. However, the process for auditing medicines, the environment and infection prevention and control failed to identify the concerns we found during the assessment. The provider worked with the registered manager and staff to promote a shared vision, mission and values. The registered manager fostered a positive culture where people and staff felt confident they could speak up and that their voice would be heard. Mechanisms were in place to facilitate this. The provider had systems in place to ensure an inclusive and fair culture was created, which consistently looked at how to improve equality and diversity for the people they supported and their workforce. The registered manager understood the legal requirements and importance of their role and responsibility. They understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership. They shared information, and learning with partners, and collaborated for improvement, when needed. Staff had developed good links with the local community and worked in partnership with other agencies to improve good outcomes for people. The provider ensured there was a system in place to encourage continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the service. The service had comprehensive policies in place to support the registered manager and staff to achieve this. Staff were passionate about providing good quality care for people. They told us there were plenty opportunities for training and personal development.

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 registered manager and staff shared the vision and values of the care provided in the home. Staff we spoke with explained the values of personalised, kind, caring, trusted, community, which were at the centre of their day-to-day work. Staff were complimentary about their employment and the support they received. One staff member told us, “I really enjoy working in Dene Park House, it’s one of the best companies I have worked for.” Another staff member said, “Staff that do not meet our standards don’t tend to stay.”

The quality and vision of the service was regularly discussed with staff during a range of meetings. The provider routinely rewarded staff who demonstrated they had ‘gone the extra mile’ in their roles to deliver the values exceptionally well. The provider’s policies and procedures promoted an open and honest culture throughout the service.

Staff told us the registered manager promoted a positive, person-centred culture and encouraged openness and honesty. Staff comments included, “[Registered Manager] is a kind and approachable manager. They try their best to keep the care home in order and make sure residents, staff and families are happy,” “The home manager is very approachable and always more than happy to help with any issues I may have,” “I find [Registered Manager] very straightforward and fair,” and “[Registered Manager] acts quickly and professionally if any concerns are raised and dealt with in a timely manner.”

The registered manager adopted an inclusive leadership style and supported staff to understand the context in which they delivered care and support to people. Systems were in place to check staff practiced the organisation’s culture and values.

Staff described a positive culture where their views were welcomed and encouraged. They were confident to raise issues with the registered manager and felt any concerns would be thoroughly investigated. One staff member told us, “Any concerns I may have I report straight to the manager and she sort things out quickly.” Staff had a range of meetings to discuss their personal development, service improvements or raise concerns. They felt their views were valued. One member of staff said, “I love a staff meeting. I always come away better informed than I was and I’m always able to raise points of concern, which I always do.” Another staff member commented, “We have regular supervisions where we can state our concerns and discuss what the management can do to help us.”

Processes were in place for staff to ‘speak up’ about the service. The provider had a clear whistleblowing policy and procedure in place. Staff could raise concerns and the information about how to do this was readily available in the service and within the colleague’s handbook.

The provider and registered manager valued diversity in the workforce. They promoted an inclusive and fair culture through improving equality for people who worked for them. Staff confirmed they had a working environment which encouraged effective teamwork. Staff comments included, “When the skill mix is good, I love it here”, “I do my best for the residents and my colleagues every single minute that I’m in the building” and “Staff morale can change. When the skill mix is right, we all feel happy in work, when it’s not, it has an impact and it’s tough.”

The systems in place were designed to value each staff member equally and recognised the expertise and experience they brought. The registered manager told us, “We employ staff who also follow different cultures and come from a variation of backgrounds, all of which are supported within Dene Park House, this is predominantly through staff training, being aware of other cultures and differences with both staff and residents within the home. We continue to support this by also ensuring it is part of our 'staff champions' role to enable staff to voice opinions and ideas to continuously improve equality and diversity within the home.”

The provider and registered manager knew their responsibilities around quality and safety monitoring, and governance. The registered manager had oversight of the service through regular quality audits and service reviews. Staff were guided in their roles through up-to-date policies and procedures and routine training. A staff member said, “I understand my role well.” Another staff member told us, “I am happy working within Dene Park House.”

Governance systems were in place which had been effective in driving improvements such as in, recruitment records, staff training and supervision, care plans, MCA documentation and records relating to complaints. However, we found concerns in relation to medicines records, the environment and infection prevention and control which were accepted by the management team who agreed a robust audit would have identified the concerns and led to improvements. There was no evidence of any adverse impact on people and the management team took immediate action to review these areas. The registered manager and staff carried out a range of routine audits, such as for, care records, health and safety, catering and housekeeping, to monitor and improve the quality of the service. Electronic systems and robust monitoring tools were utilised to monitor the care provided to people. The registered manager maintained good oversight of all audits and quality checks and progress with improvement action plans. The service had comprehensive policies in place to support and guide the registered manager and staff.

People told us staff worked well with other professionals so they could access appropriate care and treatment, when required.

The registered manager and staff understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership with health, social care and community partners. They had good knowledge of the local services and how to access them.

External professionals told us the service had developed good links with them. They found the registered manager and staff responsive to suggestions made about providing individualised care and support.

Systems and processes were in place to enable the service to develop good links with the local community and work in partnership with other agencies to improve people's health, care and wellbeing. They had the means to share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

The provider and registered manager were committed to continuous learning and improvement. Staff found the provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement.

Systems for monitoring standards of care were embedded within practice to successfully identify areas of improvement and lessons learnt. This included regular audits and quality assurance checks. Complaints were managed and outcomes used to improve the service. Records showed staff were recruited, trained and supervised appropriately. Systems were closely monitored and they consistently made improvements to the service.