Ultimate Independence Care Ltd

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.

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 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 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.

Through discussions with the provider, staff, stakeholders and people who used the service, we established there was a positive and proactive culture within the service. The registered manager was passionate about delivering good quality and person-centred care which had a positive impact on people. They said, “We want to grow but not at the expense of quality. I want to focus on leadership. I'm developing a strong leadership team and want to focus on our governance and processes. I want to produce a stable company that's led on the values of the organisation and in line with our culture. I am proud of my team. They’ve gone above and beyond especially in challenging situations. I want a culture to be proud of.”

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 registered manager used their own experience and feedback from people and stakeholders to develop the service in line with evidence-based guidance.

The provider was developing a strong management team to ensure there was consistent approach and the quality of the service was sustained. They were aware of the importance to establish a robust governance system to ensure there were effective systems in place before expanding and growing the service. People’s relatives mainly praised the service. One relative said, ‘[They] are easy to communicate with, [they] make sure things are done right for my relative. They are nice and kind, they are lovely all of them.”

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

The registered manager explained they encouraged feedback to help influence and shape the service. They said they had an open-door policy and encouraged staff to speak up with a ‘no blame’ culture. This was confirmed by staff. One staff member said, “Yes, they are approachable, I can call them any time and any one of them will pick up the call. I always know who to go to. They have knowledge and all lot of them have a lot of experience.”

Staff said their views and suggestions would be listened to and respected by the provider if they gave feedback or raised concerns. Staff surveys were completed to assist the provider in understanding the views of staff and what could improve the service.

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 raised no concerns about workforce equality and their treatment by the provider. The recruitment of staff was carried out in line with good practice and with regard to staff’s equality and diversity needs.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

The registered manager had good oversight of the service and was building an effective leaderships team to support them. They recognised their governance systems needed to be further developed to help ensure compliance in all areas of the service as well as demonstrating positive outcomes for people. For example, further development was needed to ensure there was effective monitoring of staff training and recruitment. The provider’s policies needed to be reviewed to ensure they reflected the service being provided. The registered manager provided examples of positive results for people who used the service but acknowledged a gap in formally documenting how the service had helped people reach their potential. They agreed to consider ways to record people’s progress in their confidence, independence, and mental well-being.

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 registered manager and staff understood the importance of ensuring collaborative and respectful working relationships with health and social care partners. This was confirmed by health care professionals.

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.

The registered manager valued feedback from people and other stakeholders and were responsive to our assessment feedback. The registered manager understood the importance of reporting safety concerns and taking action and learning when things go wrong. They demonstrated a drive to reflect on incidents, continuously improve and develop the service.