Visiting Angels - South Middlesex Also known as Murray Moments T/A Visiting Angels

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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.

The provider 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.

Relatives told us they would recommend the service to other people. A relative said, “Yes, in fact I already have recommended them to a friend of mine.”

The provider had a strategy identifying the values, mission, objectives and culture of the organisation. Information on this strategy were included in the information guide provided to people receiving care. The provider had a statement of good practice which identified how care would be provided to reflect the organisation’s values and that staff were trained to deliver support in line with the statement.

Staff were asked what the best thing about working for the service was. A staff member told us, “The best thing is you always feel supported. You feel confident in what you are doing because you have had the relevant training and you have the time to get to know your client and vice versa so that you can build a trusting relationship. I would definitely recommend the company”

The manager showed they understood the importance of the duty of candour in the day-to-day work of the service. The manager explained, “I have the responsibility to share information, if there is an investigation, with the person involved and their family members. If there is an error you need to put your hands up, explain what the outcome of the investigation shows and the outcome is shared.”

A professional who worked with the provider told us, “In all my dealings with Visiting Angels I can say without doubt that they care passionately about their clients and strive hard to deliver a level of care that they believe they deserve. They go above and beyond involving other members of the community as necessary.

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.

The manager demonstrated they had a good understanding of people’s support needs and was in regular contact with them to ensure their support needs were being met. The manager had a team of staff to support them in their role including an operations and quality assurance manager, care coordinators and care supervisors.

The manager and senior staff completed continuing professional development records. This listed any training, external meetings and events they had completed with how it had supported their professional development within their role.

The manager told us they had systems in place to share best practice with staff through supervision and team meetings as well as weekly staff newsletter with a learning theme.

Staff told us they felt supported by the manager and senior staff, and they felt able to ask questions or raise any concerns they may have. A staff member commented, “Visiting Angels South Middlesex is family-run and places strong importance on the wellbeing of both clients and caregivers. They focus on delivering personalised, compassionate care while also supporting their carers through training, communication and a positive working environment, ensuring high-quality care is consistently provided.”

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

The manager explained there were policies and procedures to enable people, relatives and staff to raise any issues with the care. Relatives told us they understood how to raise a complaint and if they had identified any concerns with the provider it was dealt with appropriately. Staff told us they felt confident raising and discussing any issues or raising concerns with senior staff. The manager said they discussed how to raise concerns with staff during supervision and team meetings.

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.

Staff told us they felt support by management with a staff member commenting, “The management team are the best that I have ever worked for, they are understanding and caring to not only the clients but us as staff as well.” The manager told us they recruited staff who reflected the community they supported. The manager said they checked during the interview process if the new staff member understood the role and if they required adaptations to be able to meet the requirements of the role.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

The provider had a quality assurance process which included audits reviewing care plans, staff records, incidents, accidents, safeguarding and complaints. The audits checked to make sure the provider’s processes were followed and the information was accurate. The manager told us they checked to ensure appropriate action was taken for example referral made to relevant healthcare professionals if required. The provider had developed individual contingency plans for each person to identify how to ensure care could be provided if there was a staff issue or adverse weather. There was also a contingency plan for the wider service to provide guidance on how to maintain care visits in case of an emergency. The provider followed legislation and best practice to ensure people’s personal data was stored securely.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The manager told us they regularly interacted with healthcare professionals including GP’s, district nurses, pharmacists and chiropodists. The provider also worked with and promoted local charities and organisations which provided activities and support for older people and those living with dementia. These include chat cafes and singing for the brain. The provider also took part in local community networks and attended social care events organised by the local authority.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

People, relatives and staff were asked for feedback on the care provided through surveys. The results of the surveys were analysed and any actions identified for improvement. Feedback was also obtained through spot checks on the care provided and reviews of people’s care plans. The manager kept up to date with best practice and had systems for this information to be shared with staff to improve their practice. There were regular staff supervision and team meetings to discuss issues and development. Staff undertook a number of training courses with refresher sessions to develop their skills and knowledge to support people care needs.