Medistaff24

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 requires improvement. At this assessment 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 71 (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 based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The registered manager fostered an open and supportive culture and was visible to staff on a day-to-day basis. They told us they aimed to create a relaxed and welcoming environment during meetings, so staff felt comfortable to speak openly. Staff spoke very positively about the culture of the service, describing the management as approachable, supportive and easy to talk to.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the services shared values, and the service promoted a positive environment that aligned with these values and supported good outcomes for people.

There were capable and inclusive leaders. The registered manager was also the director of the company, working alongside another director to oversee the day-to-day running of the service.

The registered manager embodied the culture and values of the organisation, demonstrating passion and commitment to providing excellent care and delivering safe, consistent support. They showed dedication to maintaining up-to-date knowledge of best practice, telling us they kept themselves informed by reading relevant literature and national guidance. This helped ensure the service continued to operate in line with current standards and expectations of the sector.

People were positive about the management of the service. One person told us they contacted the manager when needed and found them accessible and helpful. Another said the registered manager visited from time to time and was always responsive. A staff members told us, “(Persons Name) is always available” and staff felt the service was well managed and focused on continuous improvement.

The registered manager fostered a positive culture where people felt able to speak up and confident that their voice would be heard.

The service had a whistleblowing policy which was introduced to all staff during induction and was also detailed in the staff handbook. The registered manager told us that they had not received any whistleblower concerns to date, but they actively encouraged staff to raise issues if they had them. Staff confirmed they felt comfortable to speak up and were confident that any concerns would be taken seriously and acted upon.

The service valued diversity within their workforce and worked towards creating an inclusive and fair culture by promoting equality and equity for staff. The registered manager took steps to understand and support individual staff needs. Staff told us they felt well supported; one person said, “Yes, staff are treated well. (They) help us if we have family problems, or car problems, (persons name) will always help”.

The registered manager told us they always made reasonable adjustments to support staff, enabling them to work safely and comfortably. They gave an example of adjusting a staff member’s working pattern to accommodate their family caring responsibilities.

The service demonstrated a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, helping ensure staff felt valued, respected and supported.

The registered manager told us they had quality assurance systems in place to ensure regular checks and audits were carried out across the service. However, these were not always clearly documented.

During the inspection, evidence of audits of staff files, medication administration, and visit times and duration were not available for us to review. The registered manager explained this was due to an administration error, and the audits were later submitted. However, the audits lacked sufficient detail and did not provide assurance that there was effective oversight.

The service had appointed an external consultant on two occasions in the 6 months prior to our visit to audit staff files and care plans. Whilst we could see steps were being taken to strengthen governance and oversight time was still needed for this to be embedded in the service.

The service had implemented an electronic system for real-time monitoring of daily care records. The registered manager told us these were audited daily by an office team member who would flag any missing records and escalate concerns. However, there was no documented evidence of this process taking place, so we could not be assured it was operating effectively.

The registered manager told us that directors met regularly to review the governance of the service. While the documented notes showed reflective discussion and a commitment to development, they lacked detail demonstrating oversight and review of day-to-day operational performance, risks and processes.

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

Management and staff worked well with relatives, health professionals and community partners involved in people’s care. As people's needs changed, information was shared promptly and appropriately, helping to ensure care remained coordinated and person-centred. Records showed the service engaged with other agencies to make sure people received the support they needed.

People benefited from a service that communicated effectively with others and contributed positively to their wider system of care.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and wider care system. They encouraged creative approaches to improving people’s experiences, outcomes and quality of life.

Staff were supported to develop their skills and knowledge so they could provide effective, person-centred care. Team meetings provided opportunities for information sharing and group learning, and staff told us supervisions were useful for discussing learning needs and suggesting improvements. One staff member described supervisions as helpful.

Where issues were identified during the inspection process, the registered manager was open to feedback and demonstrated a willingness to adapt and make improvements to support better outcomes for people.