Transforming care homes: a strategic approach

The success of any care home is intricately tied to the leadership and management capabilities of those at the top of the hierarchy. In addressing underperforming care homes, often, the initial reaction is to point the finger of blame and remove leaders and managers who seem to be falling short. However, a more strategic and effective approach for a struggling care home is to work collaboratively with its leaders, understanding that person and character transformation is not solely a matter of skill but often a matter of will, too.

The absence of a manager — or the presence of an underperforming one — can have severe repercussions on both staff and residents. It may lead to a decline in the quality of care offered, jeopardising the wellbeing and satisfaction of residents. Staff can end up facing challenges such as lack of guidance and poor communication, with decreased job satisfaction and morale potentially resulting in higher turnover rates. The issue may escalate to a point where it negatively affects the CQC rating of a home. Going from a green to an amber rating could lose care providers as much as £200k in profitability, and the value of a home could drop by as much as eight times.

Skill deficiencies