Arboretum Nursing Home

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• 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

Our rating for this key question has changed from requires improvement to good. Improvements had been made to communication with external agencies. People and staff spoke positively about the management team, describing them as approachable. Staff felt supported in their roles and felt able to contribute towards making improvements at the home and further developing a strong supportive culture.

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.

Staff spoke positively about the culture at the home. One staff member told us, “It’s like my other home, I have always loved working here, I agree with the ethos of the home, that has never changed since I started here; care, dignity and respect.” Another staff member said, “I love working here, I like the fact that we can make a difference to people’s lives.” The management team told us they tried to promote a positive atmosphere within the home by being available to their staff team and getting to know people who lived at the home and their relatives. The provider told us they were at the home from early in the morning so they could monitor the quality of care and speak with people and staff.

New processes had recently been put in place to promote positive communication between staff from all departments at the home. Daily information sharing meetings encouraged positive communication and gave staff the chance to learn and understand about each other’s roles and how they could offer support where required. Less formally, the provider and management team were visible around the home and this offered people and staff the chance to speak with them about any concerns.

Staff told us they found the provider and management team to be compassionate and approachable. One staff member said, “Management are always available and approachable and will respond to staff’s requests providing they are reasonable.” We heard numerous accounts from staff about how the provider had treated them with compassion and demonstrated understanding about their experiences. Staff told us where people required equipment or resources the provider was quick to provide whatever was needed. The management team told us they tried to deal with any concerns or incidents straight away to reduce the level of concern from either people or staff. They spoke with compassion about people living at the home and told us they wanted to do the best they could for people.

Areas of responsibility within the management team were defined according to staff member’s roles which promoted a positive culture of accountability. Senior staff members had allocated responsibilities and led on specific aspects of people’s care to ensure the smooth running of the home.

Staff told us they were confident to speak up and raise any concerns they had. One staff member said, “I have no concerns about the home, if I did, I know I could raise them and I would be listened to.” The management team told us they operated an ‘open door’ policy and welcomed feedback from staff. They told us the provider was present within the home and knew people and staff well, which meant they were easily accessible and approachable.

The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place, which was easily accessible by staff. This promoted speaking up and offered protection to staff who raised concerns.

Staff told us their diverse needs were considered by the provider and the management team. The management team shared examples with us of how they had provided support to staff which considered their personal circumstances.

Training records reflected that staff should complete training in equality and diversity. However, records showed very few staff members had completed this.

Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and provider and felt the home was well managed. One staff member said, “I wouldn’t change anything about the home, it works and we have a great team who support each other.” Another staff member said, “There is a very open culture here, all staff can speak up about anything and where they can, management will help or make changes.” The management team shared with us the systems they used to monitor the quality of care people received. They told us they completed audits relating to areas such as nutrition, weight loss, wound care and falls and used the information gathered to identify any themes and trends and make any improvements.

There was a schedule of audits in place to monitor risks to people’s safety. These were documented and included actions taken by the management team to reduce risks or make improvements. These included wound management, nutrition and supplements and a review of falls and accidents. Records showed action had been taken in response to findings to improve people’s experience of care.

People and relatives shared examples with us of how staff worked with other professionals to meet their care and support needs. This included GP’s, physiotherapists, and occupational health therapists.

Staff we spoke with were positive about the way the staff team worked with professionals from external agencies. One staff member said, “I think the home works well with other professionals, it’s a great way to learn things and ensure people get the best support. I carry out reviews with social workers.” The management team told us they were open to suggestions made by visiting professionals and had been working alongside the local quality team. They said they had made improvements with the support of this team and felt their input was positive.

External partners reported that staff at the home welcomed suggestions and ideas and were willing to work with them.

The staff team worked with external agencies, who carried out audits to assess the quality of care provided. Processes were in place to ensure the staff worked in partnership with people and their relatives. This included regular conversations with people about their care. Feedback from residents and relatives had been gathered and action taken to address any concerns or make improvements to people’s experience of care.

Staff told us they could make suggestions and share ideas for improvement with the management team and provider. They said their ideas were listened to and acted upon where possible. The provider told us they welcomed feedback and were prepared to make changes that would positively impact the lives of people living at the home. The management team said they had contacts with the local area who they could approach if they need advice or support.

There were systems in place, including audits, which enabled the management team to identify areas that required improvement. Where concerns had been identified records reflected changes made to improve the quality of care provided.