Barnet Mencap

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 leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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.

The registered manager set a clear and consistent direction through audits, monthly managers’ meetings and shared lessons learned processes, which helped create consistency across the service.

Staff reflected shared values and expectations. Staff told us they could raise concerns openly and use regular wellbeing forums, which corroborated an open and supportive culture where issues were listened to and acted on. This helped issues to be addressed early and improved the overall quality of support.

A care worker told us, “There are strong bonds between the team.”

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.

Leaders used audits, regular management meetings and routine checks of incidents, medicines, and care quality to keep track of how well the service is running.

The registered manager acted compassionately by offering wellbeing forums and responding promptly when staff raised concerns.

A care worker told us, “Management are 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 could raise concerns with managers, human resources or the chief operating officer, and felt these were taken seriously, and leaders reinforced this through wellbeing forums where staff could speak openly without judgement.

Leaders responded constructively to issues such as medication errors or data protection matters by offering retraining and changing processes, which showed a learning focused approach, centred on improving practice rather than blaming staff, and supported a non‑punitive culture.

A care worker told us, “I do not feel fear in raising concerns.”

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.

A care worker told us the provider, “Promotes equality and fairness.”

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.

Leaders used regular checks and reviews of medicines, finances, infection control, care plans and home safety, and managers at different levels looked at these checks to make sure the service was well run.

The registered manager kept track of how the service was performing and any new risks.

The provider showed good long‑term planning by maintaining clear continuity plans during leadership changes. Then provider continued their improvement work, including equality, diversity and inclusion projects and working groups.

Some staff reported slight delays in external systems, such as housing associations, but the internal follow up was consistent.

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.

Staff worked closely with external professionals and made referrals when people needed additional support.

Leaders monitored joint work through safeguarding reviews and audits, which helped them identify delays from external partners and take action to keep people safe.

The provider involved people in wider community groups and events, such as a local forum and activities, which strengthened links with community partners and supported shared improvement.

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.

Leaders used structured reviews and lessons learned to improve practice and update processes across the service.

Staff and managers checked how people were doing, looked for patterns or changes, and helped people work towards their goals. This helped them make improvements based on what the information showed.