Burleys Wood

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“Burleys Wood is a care home providing support to people living with dementia and / or with nursing needs. There were 52 people living at the service on the day of our visit. This assessment was undertaken due to the age of the services rating and in response to whistleblowing concerns received from staff.Staff concerns related to, ‘unsafe staffing levels,’ ‘staff being overworked,’ ‘unsupported’ and ‘working without access to care plans or hygiene protocols.’ They spoke of, ‘inappropriate management behaviour,’ ‘intimidation,’ ‘bullying’ and ‘racism.’”

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“The provider arranged for letters to be sent to all staff to give them the opportunity to provide us with feedback. We received feedback form 30 out of 87 staff employed, out of which over a third raised concerns. These concerns mirrored those we received prior to this assessment. Staff told us the staffing levels did not reflect the complexity of people’s needs. They told us that people had to wait for care. Many of the staff who provided feedback told us they did not feel listened to. Staff spoke positively about Shaw Healthcare as an employer but told us the issues related specifically to the management team at Burleys Wood. Staff said not all incidents were recorded or escalated to head office, which meant the provider did not always have clear oversight of the service.”

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“There was a manager registered with CQC. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.”

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“Staff knew people well and were committed to providing a good standard of care. However, some staff told us this was challenging. They told us that their concerns were routinely dismissed and they were ignored. Some staff who provided feedback expressed a fear of repercussions for raising concerns. They said the management team at Burleys Wood had an unwillingness to address concerns and there was a culture which prevented staff from being able to speak up.”

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“Feedback from visiting healthcare professionals was positive.”

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“Following the assessment, we discussed the feedback received from staff with the provider. The provider told us, ‘Being an Employee Owned Trust we really do value our employees voice and feedback which is why we have so many mechanisms in place for feedback such as, open door policy, suggestion scheme, whistleblowing, supervision / appraisal, anonymous employee surveys, unannounced independent compliance audits and we are disappointed that the staff felt they could not utilise any of these channels that are freely available.’ They also told us about the actions they were taking in response to this assessment. They said, ‘In response to the feedback received we arranged for the Head of Recruitment and Sponsorship Lead, Employee Voice Manager and the HR representative for the region to attend the service to offer wellbeing clinics, feedback sessions and catch ups.’ They provided assurances they would take action regarding the feedback from staff. The provider gave examples of actions Shaw Healthcare had taken in response to our feedback. This included, ‘Strengthening the communication within the service.’ The provider assured us the service is ‘fully staffed’ and there is a ‘strong overview of rota management, overseen by the Operations Manager.’”

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