Eastcroft Nursing Home

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 provider championed an inclusive and positive culture of continuous improvement. Staff supported people in a person-centred way. Leaders supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that is safe, integrated, person-centred and sustainable, and to reduce inequalities. At the last inspection in January 2023 the provider was in breach of regulations because they failed to operate effective governance systems and to continuously improve the service. At the time, the provider had not always notified CQC about certain events in the home as per legal requirements. The provider made significant improvements and was no longer in breach of regulations at this assessment. The provider introduced an improved quality assurance and auditing systems and took action to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Service partners told us the provider now actively engaged with them in order to continuously improve people’s health and to address their changing care needs. The provider submitted statutory notifications to CQC in a timely manner as well as providing a monthly analysis of incidents to CQC and the local authority. Improvements such as better training and support for staff, clearer and more robust governance systems or implementation of more streamlined care recording systems were either completed or underway. The home had a supportive, empowering, and inclusive culture where equality and diversity of the people receiving care, as well as the staff team was respected and celebrated. Staff felt supported and listened to by managers and commented teamwork had improved. The management of the service had a good understanding of their responsibilities and maintained oversight of the care provision. Leaders were approachable and worked in an open and transparent way.

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 clear vision for the service and identified respecting people’s privacy, dignity, rights and promoting independence, choice and fulfilment as their core values. The way staff worked as a team, supported people and communicated with managers as well as people’s individual records showed the provision of care was aligned with those values.

The management team promoted an inclusive and open culture. The manager told us, “We work in an open culture here, with a cosmopolitan staff group and encourage openness. We support peoples’ cultural and dietary needs.” Staff confirmed there was a positive culture and the team worked in line with shared value. Staff said,” This is a good place to work; the atmosphere is good” and “There is a very positive culture in the staff team.”

Staff were complimentary around the leadership and management of the home and the support they had been receiving in their roles. One staff member said, “The nurse in charge always listens. She is a very nice lady, and we can talk to her. She never says she can’t do something. If we ask her, she will always come and help.” Another staff member told us, “The management are good, they guide us and give good advice.”

There were clear management structures in the home and managers knew their responsibilities. Leaders were knowledgeable about issues and priorities for the quality of care provided to people and accessed support from healthcare and social care partners to improve the ways the home was managed. The changes made in systems and processes of governance and how leaders were implementing them since the last inspection had had positive impact on staff team and people’s quality of care.

The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place and open accessible communication channels for staff to raise concerns within the home. Staff were also trained in safeguarding and aware of how to raise concerns externally if required. Staff were supported to raise any concerns anonymously if they preferred. For example, in order to protect anonymity, the provider commissioned an external company to manage staff feedback on all aspects of their employment.

The management of the home promoted a culture of speaking up and encouraged staff to voice their concerns and suggestions openly. The manager told us, “I strongly encourage staff to speak up and to be open about an accident. I understand that things happen.” Staff felt supported and enabled to approach managers with any issues. Staff said, “You can go to any of the managers with anything”; “We can speak to any of the managers or the nurse. They will come if we have a problem, and they will all help with anything”; and “Staff are encouraged to voice any concerns”.

The provider had clear systems and processes to ensure equality and diversity was promoted and protected within the workforce. Staff could access support from managers around any reasonable adjustments, flexible working, support with their work responsibilities or personal needs. The provider’s policies and procedures supported managers to work in line with Equality Act 2010.

Staff and leaders promoted an inclusive working culture where everyone was supported and welcomed and their equality and diversity rights were protected. The senior staff told us, “I firmly believe in equality of pay, and certainly there is no gender pay gap here. I facilitate flexible working, to accommodate staff member’s various commitments”; “We value staff and work as a team.” Staff confirmed the home was a good place to work and one where they felt valued and supported. One staff member said, “I enjoy it here; nice management and the team members are good. You can ask advice on anything. I like it here.”

The management team were aware of their roles and responsibilities and how to ensure good governance in the home. They had made a range of improvements in how quality and safety of the service was monitored since the last inspection. The manager told us, “I was less organised at the last inspection and now with improved organisation, this helps to give me an oversight and command of what training staff need to do; to help them be more responsive to resident needs.”

The management team carried out a range of audits and checks around quality and safety of the care provided to people. For example, health and safety related checks of kitchen and laundry services and infection prevention and control. New tools were implemented and used by managers to monitor changes in people’s care needs and risks, for example around nutrition and to check the quality of the service at mealtimes. Staff working practices were also observed by managers and informed the home’s continuous improvement plan.

The management team ensured appropriate systems and processes were in place to enable staff to refer people to other healthcare and special care services and the home maintained good working relationships with the local authority and healthcare services. There was evidence of ongoing communication and learning from those relationships which we reviewed during this assessment. For example, people’s care needs, including oral care or eating and drinking support needs, had now been reviewed and addressed in their care plans more holistically. Staff implemented recommendations from healthcare professionals and utilised support provided by partners to improve people’s safety and overall experience of care.

Staff and managers explained to us how they worked with healthcare and social care professionals, for example, by referring people to other services when needed, sharing information when people went for an appointment or to receive treatment in hospital. The management team told us how they worked on improving their engagement with partners and communication with healthcare and social care professionals involved in people’s care. This ensured people received appropriate and timely care meeting their needs.

Healthcare professionals and local authority quality assurance lead working with the service commented on improvements made in the home, “The [manager] and the team are now looking to get more involved with [healthcare service]. We also talked a bit more about the sharing of good practice and they are maintaining relationships with local homes in that regard.” One healthcare professional told us the provider now followed the advice they provided, and we saw those recommendations were implemented.

The culture of the home was that of continuous improvement and learning. The manager told us how they identified and implemented new and more efficient ways of working which led to an improved provision of service. They demonstrated a good understanding of what needed to be improved and how they were achieving those goals. Staff told us they felt supported and had seen improvements to the care provided since the last inspection. One staff member said, “I feel very supported. If we don’t understand anything we can ask and ask as many times as we need. They support us well.” Staff also commented that the home environment had been made ‘brighter’; the team worked in more cohesive ways than before and there was better team spirit with the culture of complacency gone.

The provider had been continuously working on fulfilling their action plan since the last inspection and initiated a range of improvements. They implemented a new comprehensive induction programme for nursing and care staff; started to use a new training platform and implemented a system to enable oversight and auditing of staff training. This brought positive outcomes as staff were now trained and competent to provide safe care to people. They also recognised the value of external support and worked closely with improvement partners, including health and social care professionals as well as with their peers in other care homes. The provider identified the need to streamline and improve the way they recorded people’s care and were moving over to a new electronic records system which they felt would be easier for staff and be more flexible for people’s needs.