Age UK Doncaster

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 changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.Staff and leaders clearly articulated the provider’s vision and values, and good outcomes for people were their main priority. The provider values were ‘respectful, effective and courageous’ and were a thread throughout the service. Staff demonstrated these values in their day-to-day practice and this supported a very person-centred organisational culture. These values were embedded from the start of the staff application process and leaders asked questions in interviews to gain an understanding of what these values meant to applicants. The values were revisited in supervision sessions and staff meetings, and leaders encouraged staff to talk and engage in conversations about them. The provider values were also woven in the people’s feedback questionnaires. Staff were proud to work for Age UK Doncaster and told us they felt highly valued and contributed to changes within the organisation.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. People received a person-centred service from a well-led team of staff. Staff and leaders were extremely passionate and committed to providing high-quality, person-centred care. The registered manager exhibited strong leadership skills and excelled within the organisation to achieve consistently high standards. Leaders understood their responsibilities relating to the duty of candour and being open and transparent and had a passion for providing the best support possible. The nominated individual took an active role in supporting staff on a day-to-day basis and effectively working with the registered manager and leaders to develop new initiatives which were designed to meet people’s needs. Leaders worked collaboratively with external professionals and partner agencies to achieve the positive outcome for people described throughout this report. Feedback from external professionals was positive and demonstrated collaborative working and a commitment from leaders to achieve the best outcomes for people. One professional said, “They [Age UK Doncaster] provide excellent care for my client, often going above and beyond their role in what can sometimes be challenging circumstances. I have an excellent relationship with [leaders] and any correspondence is quickly replied to. We work together to ensure the clients health and wellbeing is maximised.” Leaders created an inclusive and highly supportive environment where staff were enabled to provide compassionate, responsive and effective care. One staff member said, “I feel extremely valued and staff morale, I would say, is very high.” Another staff member said, “I would be very happy for any of my family or friends to receive support from Age UK Doncaster. I feel that we show respect, dignity, and kindness to all people we support. So that they are cared for safely and in their best interest and we make them feel genuinely valued.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistle blowing policy and staff were comfortable raising concerns if they needed to. Staff had confidence leaders would take appropriate actions to ensure people were safe and received a good service. Leaders operated an open-door policy where staff and people could access them whenever they needed to. One staff member said, “Management is very approachable. I can raise concerns easily.” Another staff member said, “Things that are raised are actioned straight away. The [managers] are very good in getting back to me with feedback as to what action is going to be taken.”

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. All staff at Age UK Doncaster were required to have equality and diversity training within their induction and this was refreshed throughout their employment. Equality and diversity were discussed within team meetings and supervision sessions to ensure staff were fully aware of its importance. Leaders ensured they kept up to date with policies and procedures as well as society to make sure paperwork reflected the current climate. This included adding sections into their assessments to cover all genders and sexual orientations, as well as how people preferred to be identified. The assessment was a working document which could be changed to ensure it reflected current society and was inclusive for all people who used the service. Leaders offered staff flexible working opportunities to enable them to experience a good work-life balance. One staff member said, “I feel that management are all approachable and treat staff fairly. I always feel that I can raise any concerns and asking for support, they are always willing to listen and help sort things out.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. Leaders demonstrated commitment across the service to good practice, service performance and risk management systems and processes. Staff were engaged with processes and used these systems effectively, addressing problems openly and swiftly through collaborative and responsive leadership. The provider had a governance framework which supported them to measure the quality of the service and to take appropriate action when improvements were required. For example, audits of care documentation were carried out to ensure support was delivered in line with people’s assessed needs and considered their preferences. Spot checks took place to support staff in delivering high quality care and to ensure any learning was identified and actioned.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. Staff and leaders had built strong community partnerships which improved outcomes for people. Feedback from external professionals was extremely positive. One professional said, “[Registered manager and nominated individual] have a very innovative way of thinking and provide proactive and positive engagement.They demonstrate a real desire to ensure they get things right for the people they support and are open to new ways of working that will further improve the quality of life and opportunities for the people they support in Doncaster.” Staff and leaders signposted people to appropriate services and community activities to enhance their well-being. Age UK Doncaster also provided some non-regulated services which people who received personal care had access to. These included, for example, Age UK Doncaster's Silver Link service, a community wellbeing service designed to reduce social isolation and loneliness and promote wellbeing, activity, social connection, independence and community participation and associated community wellbeing activities.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. Staff and leaders demonstrated an exceptional commitment to learning, innovation and continuous improvement. Lessons learned from incidents and events were consistently analysed and embedded into practice, driving meaningful and sustained service improvements. There was a strong culture of continuous professional development, with staff actively supported to develop and enhance their skills through ongoing training, reflective practice and open, transparent discussions. Leaders and staff were proactive in networking with other services and accessing up-to-date learning resources, which ensured they remained informed about changes within the care system and best practice guidance. This was evidenced through multiple examples where people were empowered and supported to continually achieve and exceed their goals and aspirations, demonstrating the positive impact of a learning-driven and improvement-focused culture. One professional said, “Age UK Doncaster collaborate with the City of Doncaster Council (CDC) and have offered innovation suggestions as well as attending regular board meetings to share learning and ideas.” Another professional said, “[The management team] have a very innovative way of thinking and provide proactive and positive engagement. They demonstrate a real desire to ensure they get things right for the people they support and are open to new ways of working that will further improve the quality of life and opportunities for the people they support in Doncaster.” Another professional said, “We have recently (in November 2025) re-tendered our domiciliary care contracts in Doncaster and Age UK Doncaster were successful in their bid to join our new framework. They have engaged positively with us throughout the design phase of the new specification for this contract and have proactively and positively shown a commitment to new ways of working and provided ideas for innovation.”