Archived: Mayfair Homecare - Barnet

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

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture. At our last inspection we rated this key question requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

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.

At our last inspection we found management and leadership of the service was not always consistent due to some of the shortfalls we found around medicines management and staffing. Improvements were found at this inspection.

The provider had a shared vision, strategy and culture. The provider implemented a shared direction and culture for the staff team based on the principles of diversity, equality and human rights, inclusion and engagement. They understood the challenges and the needs of people in their communities. The provider’s vision was to place people at the heart of the service, giving them choice and enabling them to take control of their care. The provider promoted personalised care, supporting people to achieve their outcomes in their preferred way. The management team told us they committed to recruiting and developing staff who could demonstrate these values. Feedback from members of staff indicated a positive staff culture where new ideas and suggestions about delivering care and support were welcomed. Staff were very positive about the culture, the management, direction and leadership within the service. They felt valued and listened to and were encouraged in their development.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty. People and relatives spoke positively about the service and the management team. They told us they were treated with respect and understanding. A relative said, “Relatives and friends who visit [family member] cannot believe how well she is thriving, and they are amazed, this is all down to the excellent care being provided by Mayfair.”

Staff were also positive about the management team and told us they cared for the staff and people they supported. A staff member told us meetings took place monthly. They said, “The manager gives feedback and is very approachable and supportive.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff said they were able to speak with either the registered manager or director and said they were approachable and open to discuss issues. Staff felt they would be listened to respected should they give feedback or raise any concerns. A staff member said, “I think the managers are good. They are very approachable, and they listen to feedback or our views.”

A staff member told us they had spoken up a number of times when they felt their colleagues did not always follow procedures. They said, “I reported it to [registered manager] and they listened and investigated. It happens with the less experienced carers but generally everything is OK. I would expect the manager to sort these problems out.” Records showed that memos were sent to care staff to remind them of their responsibilities to complete records and call logs.

People and relatives could contact the service at any time to speak with managers. They said they knew how to make complaints and felt there was a positive culture in the service, which welcomed feedback. The registered manager was available to speak with people or relatives and listen to concerns they raised. The service carried out surveys to obtain feedback from staff, which was analysed. The management team demonstrated how they took their views seriously by producing a ‘You Said, We Did’ document. Examples of changes made included staff rotas with improved travel time, and visits to people’s homes that were closer together so staff did not have to travel long distances.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. Staff felt they were treated fairly by managers and worked well with them as a team. The regional director told us, “We are a very diverse workforce and ensure we follow the Equality Act. We are very multi-cultural and the carers see it as beneficial for their learning. We celebrate religious holidays with our staff and service users like Ramadan and Diwali. We give our staff the time and space to also do their prayers and worship.”

Staff told us they were treated fairly and felt included. They completed training in equality and diversity and had an understanding of what it meant. Recruitment and disciplinary processes were in place and ensured there was no disadvantage based on staff's specific protected equality characteristics. The provider had processes to ensure an inclusive workplace where staff were treated and supported as individuals.

The provider had effective governance systems in place. There were systems to monitor the quality of care people received, which helped to identify if any improvements could be made. These included observations of staff competency, telephone monitoring calls to people or visits, audits and staff meetings.

The registered manager was supported by a leadership team who helped monitor the service. People, relatives and staff told us the service was well managed. Records showed and staff confirmed that spot checks and assessments of their performance were completed regularly. Staff were encouraged to develop and make improvements in their work where necessary. A staff member said, “The manager or supervisors come and do spot checks of the care we provide to our clients.”

Audits of medicine records, care logs, safeguarding and incident cases were carried out by the registered manager to check that staff were completing them accurately. The regional manager completed quarterly audits to oversee the work of the registered manager and make further recommendations. Training records were monitored to ensure staff had received up to date training and supervision. Complaints and compliments were also tracked and shared with staff for learning purposes and to deliver positive outcomes. A person said, “The service is well led, and the carers are well trained.”

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. The service worked well with people, families and professionals. The registered manager and other senior managers contacted and networked with external organisations, such as the local authority, for advice, guidance and developments within the health and social care sector. Professionals, such as local authorities that commissioned the service, provided positive feedback about the service and felt the service was performing well.

The service worked with other Mayfair Homecare branches to share good practice and learning. They also worked in partnership with healthcare and social care professionals to support people who lived independently, such as in sheltered accommodation. For example, the service worked with the manager of a sheltered scheme to help with deliveries of shopping to a person. Care staff supported the person with their shopping list and arranged with the scheme manager for the delivery to be made from the grocery supplier. The registered manager told us, “Working together with scheme managers in this way ensures that our service users receive a holistic approach to their care and as a multidisciplinary team we are able to support service users to maintain their independence and achieve their desired outcomes, even for tasks such as support to obtain their desired food selection.”

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system to encourage ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people.

The provider had systems in place to drive improvements in the service. For example in medicines, communication, infection control and person-centred care. Feedback from staff, people and relatives was obtained and analysed to make adjustments to the service where necessary. People and staff felt there was a focus on improving people’s care and support. Staff told us they attended team meetings with the management team to share information, listen to updates and discuss where improvements were needed in the service.