Partners in Care (Nottingham) Limited

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• 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 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 had established a clear and shared vision, which was understood and embraced by staff across the service. There was a strong, positive culture that promoted openness, teamwork, and a commitment to deliver high-quality care. Staff reported feeling valued and supported, with regular opportunities to contribute to service development and improvement. The registered manager had modelled the organisation’s values and maintained a visible and approachable presence. This meant there was a strong shared sense of purpose and direction within the organisation.

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, openness and honesty.

The service was well-led by an experienced and knowledgeable registered manager who understood their role and responsibilities. Feedback from people, relatives and staff reflected a culture of listening, trust, and effective leadership. One staff member told us, “The management team, I find, are very approachable, always available for concerns, queries and guidance. Always support the staff.” All staff at all levels demonstrated a good understanding of people’s needs. People and relatives told us the service was well managed and organised. One relative told us, “I think it’s very well organised, there have never been any missed visits. I think the same [staff] are coming more regularly now.” This meant staff and people felt supported by compassionate and inclusive leaders, which helped ensure people received safe, consistent, and person-centred care.

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

The registered manager had a freedom to speak up policy in place to provide staff with guidance. All staff who provided us with feedback told us they had the freedom to speak up. One staff member told us, “I would feel comfortable raising concerns. The management team encourages open communication and takes staff feedback seriously. I understand the whistleblowing policy and know I can report concerns to management or externally if needed to ensure people are protected.” This meant staff felt confident and supported to raise any concerns, knowing that the management team promoted a transparent culture and took appropriate action to safeguard people using 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 told us they felt valued, respected and treated fairly by the management team. Recruitment processes were inclusive and ensured applicants were considered based on their skills, experience and values. The service completed routine staff health assessments to identify whether any reasonable adjustments were needed to support staff in their roles. Staff reported they had equal opportunities for development and progression within the service. Staff had completed mandatory training in equality and diversity and had a policy in place which supported their understanding of how to promote inclusive practice and challenge discrimination.

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 registered manager had clear roles, responsibilities, and governance systems to ensure the delivery of safe, and effective care. The registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities and shared information with other professionals when required. Audits were used to monitor risk, performance, and required improvements. These processes identified areas for improvement, and action was taken promptly to address these. For example, medicines audits had highlighted concerns, and improvements were made. The registered manager and staff team maintained effective oversight, ensuring concerns were identified and addressed without delay. One staff member told us, “As senior carer when on shift I oversee the management of other members of staff on shift, completing spot checks, medication competency assessment and the training and support of staff. This allows me the opportunity to recognise any unsafe and poor practice.” This meant the service was well-governed, responsive, and continuously improving.

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.

One professional told us, “I have found Partners in Care to be committed to the people that they work for and to go above and beyond to try and support them and clearly care about the individuals and their carers, being available to talk and be a listening ear at times to them. They work flexibly and with knowledge and compassion. They have provided services for an [person] with dementia and sought to ensure [person’s] protection and wellbeing at all times in tricky circumstances whilst also considering the needs of their staff.” People were supported to access the community if required. One staff member told us, “We carry out all kind of social visits. We accompany people to cafes, walks and shopping. As well has helping them send of birthday cards and Christmas cards at the local post office. We support them with beauty and health care appointments for example hairdresser and nails.”

There were systems and processes in place to identify learning, development and improvements not only within the service offered to people but also the staff team. Staff told us there was continuous learning to support their development. One staff member told us, “I feel Partners in Care (Nottingham) Limited provide opportunities, training and support to progress within the service and since I joined as a care assistant, I have progressed to lead carer and very recently senior carer. I have spoken with my line manager in my supervisions about my passion to progress further within the service and they support this by offering additional training and opportunities to further my skills and knowledge to accomplish this.”