Alpha Care and Support Services Limited

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 assessment we rated this key question as requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was 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.

The service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities. The provider had a range of training to help ensure procedures were followed to provide people with good quality care. There was regular communication between staff so that they could share their experiences and learn from one another. Staff told us team meetings were used to ensure they had they had the space to learn and discuss any concerns they had. One member of staff said, “Team meetings are a chance for us to meet and discuss any concerns we may have and learn what’s new.”

Relatives told us managers and staff communicated with them well and said they could discuss their family members’ care when they needed to. One relative told us, “They are good at communication, I can just call the office if I need to discuss any changes.”

The service 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.

At the time of our assessment there was not a registered manager in place. However,the provider had recently recruited a new manager and they had applied to become the registered manager. They were undertaking Level 5 Diploma in Social Care. The provider had also enrolled on the Level 5 Diploma in Social Care.

There was open and ongoing communication between the management team and staff. Regular meetings between management and staff provided them with an opportunity to discuss people’s individual support needs and the running of the service.

Staff told us the provider and office staff were supportive and that they received regular supervision, which provided opportunities to discuss their professional development and any concerns they had.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voices would be heard.

The provider has an effective system in place for anyone to raise concerns. Staff and people told us they would raise concerns and felt they would be addressed. Procedures and policies were in place to offer guidance to staff when needed.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. The provider actively promoted diversity. There was an effective system in place to ensure staff were supported in their role considering their individual needs.

Staff felt they were treated fairly by the provider and worked well with them as a team. 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 service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support.There were thorough audits, and the complaints system was regularly monitored and enabled staff and the provider to learn from and improve the service.

People, their relatives and staff provided regular feedback to identify if people were receiving the care and support, they needed. The provider’s quality assurance systems continually monitored progress, identified risk and areas for development.

Spot checks were carried out at supported living sites to ensure people were receiving safe care and staff were competent in their roles. A relative told us, “We visit very regular , and the manager does checks both announced and unannounced, [Person] is happy when we visit.”

The service clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. There was a learning culture which improved the care people received.

The provider regularly monitored the service provided to people. This included seeking professional support for [person], professionals input was sought to support [person] when they were in their local community when they experienced challenges . This meant that [person] had support form staff who knew how best to support them in a person centred way.

The service had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

Since the last inspection, the provider had taken proactive steps to address areas identified as requiring improvement. Accidents and incidents were recorded and anaylsed. Practice was changed to reflect improvements.

Staff were supported to learn and improve in their role, through training, supervision and staff meetings.