Karen Lewis, Chief Operations Officer at provider the National Care Group, shares their journey to Outstanding status, celebrating Walliscote Road’s significant milestones achieved in under two years since opening.
Empowering people to exceed their potential in any way they can is at the heart of leading adult social care provider National Care Group.
We opened Walliscote Road in Weston-super-mare in 2022, a residential service that supports people with a learning disability and/or autism. It has since become a shining example of how an outstanding team of passionate social care professionals make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Kate Harvey, Registered Manager, said: “We are now into our second year, and what a journey it has been. I am proud to be a part of an amazing team; we have worked together to ensure every person is happy and thriving following their carefully planned transition. I’m delighted to have achieved a Good CQC rating, however, next time it will be Outstanding!”
With a positive person-centered culture of care, Walliscote Road is well on its way to achieving CQC Outstanding: “In the relatively short time people had been living in the home, it was clear they had built positive relationships with staff and were supported to follow their interests”.
Supporting Co-Production
Creating a home at one of our residential services can be the first step in our progression model for some. Walliscote Road tries to run things a little differently to promote independence.
Kate explains: “Although our service is residential, we run it to ensure everyone is treated as an individual and has maximum choice. This can mean small things like tailored menus and dining times to suit the people we support, to the bigger things like each person having their own kitchen to make their dinner in.
“The people supported are fully involved in how we design and utilise rooms throughout the house, so that it really feels like home for them. Whether it’s the activities room or the quiet room, which they have named, the important thing is recognising that it’s theirs. It’s more personalised and enables us to tailor their support plans to their specific needs.”
Inspiring the next generation
The Walliscote Road team also works hard to develop future social care heroes in the local community.
Our working partnership with Weston College enables health and social care students to develop skills and knowledge with the opportunity to join work placements at Walliscote Road, which are built into their studies.
Apprenticeships at Walliscote Road are also available via the National Care Group Academy, enabling colleagues to study and work at the same time.
Celebrating leadership and collaboration
The commitment and achievements of the Walliscote Road team haven’t gone unnoticed by National Care Group.
Colleagues were named among the best in the country at National Care Group’s annual awards ceremony in June 2024 with the award ‘Operations Team of the Year’.
Within the first 12 months of her new role, Kate Harvey was recognised for her outstanding leadership in driving quality with the accolade ‘Manager of the Year’ in 2023.
@Nationalcaregrp
