YourLife (Maidenhead)

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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

Systems and processes promoted a person-centred culture, which empowered people to make decisions about the running of the service. There was a clearly defined staffing structure which meant people benefited from access to management cover 24 hours per day. Systems were in place to promote good communication within the staff team, and following a period of management instability, a new manager was appointed in December 2023. The new manager was committed to their role and was closely supported by the registered manager and provider. A system of daily and monthly service audits were in place, with additional audits conducted at a provider level. However, we found these audits were not fully effective, as they had failed to identify some of the concerns we found during our assessment.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Shared direction and culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

Staff described a period of management instability and because the new estate manager commenced their role in December 2023, told us it was too early to form a full opinion of their leadership abilities. However, feedback indicated staff worked collaboratively and were supportive of new colleagues at all levels to ensure the service was operating well, with comments including, “Giving [new estate manager] space, trying to support as much as we can, she’s on own journey of learning things”, “They [managers] are very nice and approachable which makes work easier when you need…their support” and “Welcoming place to work, very happy to come to work every day.” The new estate manager described having a proactive, visible and person-centred approach, which was corroborated by relative feedback. Leaders explained, and relative feedback also corroborated, there was an open door policy, meaning leaders were visible and accessible within the service. The registered manager and new estate manager understood the provider’s organisational vision and how to promote this within the service.

People were supported at a service with 24/7 management cover, with duty managers providing out of hours support. Staff and leaders promoted a culture of independent living, choice and control for people within the retirement community. Systems and processes reinforced this person-centred approach. For example, people were empowered at homeowners meetings to make decisions about the running of the service. The provider offered enhanced training and career progression pathways to equip leaders for their management roles. The new manager explained the provider had supported their development and career progression within the organisation, enabling them to be promoted to a management role. The provider was also accredited by the “Great Place to Work” scheme. The registered manager shared that the culture of the workplace had improved and they were working in a role they enjoyed which promoted positive work-life balance.

We did not look at Freedom to speak up during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

Leaders explained there was a period of management change in 2023 and we were advised the previous manager had not met the provider’s full expectations. The provider’s operations manager explained they had supported the service and a new estate manager started in December 2023. The registered manager, whose primary role was at another location, also supported the service on a weekly basis and when required. The registered manager explained auditing had identified some areas for improvement which were acted upon, such as updating care records. However, due to the history of management turnover, work was ongoing to ensure governance arrangements were embedded and sustained at service level. The new estate manager was clear about what they needed to achieve and the registered manager shared feedback around plans to further improve governance.

A system of daily and monthly service audits were in place, with additional audits conducted at a provider level. Audits were not fully effective, as they had failed to identify some of the concerns we identified during our assessment. The registered manager outlined plans to improve oversight and auditing of the service. There was an established organisational structure, and the provider’s policies and procedures clearly defined the responsibilities of each role. An administrator had been employed to provide additional support. Systems were in place to promote effective communication, which included the recent introduction of a daily catch up meeting, to ensure any concerns or required actions could be discussed and agreed in a timely manner.

We did not look at Partnerships and communities during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.