SEL Mind – Bromley MindCare

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.

We did not assess all the quality statements within this key question. We did not identify concerns relating to these areas which we judged as being met at our last inspection.

This key question has been rated 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 and staff 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.

The registered manager and provider had a clear strategic vision which included enhancing and developing services to meet the needs of the local community. There was a strong investment in staff development with good training opportunities and the use of technology and evidence-based practices to improve outcomes. The registered manager brought enthusiasm and strength to the organisational culture, one of inclusion and respect to ensure everyone felt valued and empowered.

The registered manager told us of a programme they participated in called ‘walking in someone else shoes’ which was part of the connect community with a mission to increase the number and quality of connections across boundaries in service of working together to deliver kinder, more equitable care for southeast Londoners. They explained that they were matched with a GP and with external partners were able to secure a post for an Admiral nurse. An Admiral Nurse is a specialist dementia nurse who worked with them to support people who were diagnosed with young onset dementia and who were also referred to their services as a result. They commented, “This was a really good experience, and we actually went onto achieve a lot from stepping into each other’s shoes.”

Staff told us the culture within the service was very inclusive and compassionate, which helped build trust and understanding between staff and people using the service. A member of staff told us, “We are all so respectful of each other and all go above and beyond to help people. We are very passionate about our work and the people we support.”

The registered manager demonstrated a distinct understanding of their responsibility under the Duty of Candour. The Duty of Candour is a regulation that all providers must adhere to. Throughout our assessment of the service, management and staff we spoke with acted exceptionally with kindness, openness and transparency.

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.

The registered manager led the service excellently leading by example. They knew people well and had a clear focus on empowerment and person led support to achieve quality outcomes for people which promoted independence and ensured choice. People and their relatives were very complimentary about the registered manager and staff. A person said, “The manager goes well outside her remit and attends meetings; gets local MPs involved so that the light is shone on people living with dementia and their family carers. She understands the stress they are under and takes action. I couldn’t have any more admiration for the job that they do.” A relative commented, “I think they are a wonderful organisation that really do understand what is happening in the care sector and have found lovely people to fill the gap. I don’t know where we would be without them. I would certainly recommend them.” The registered manager told us, “A diagnosis of dementia is devastating, and we are proud to be able to be the light to our community at this dark time in their lives.”

Staff spoke very positively about the registered manager, the support they provided and the work they undertook to support people and make the service a good place to work. A staff member said, “[Registered manager] is very supportive which makes me feel happy and confident doing my job well.” We saw that the provider conducted a staff survey to feedback on their line managers as part of the appraisal process. The feedback was very positive on the qualities of a good line manager with staff results showing the registered managers engagement and staff wellbeing was a very good contributing factor.

The registered manager was very knowledgeable about their responsibilities regarding the Health and Social Care Act 2014. They were aware of the types of significant events which they were required to notify the CQC. The registered manager was very experienced and demonstrated a strong commitment to working closely people and their families, staff and health and social care professionals to ensure high standards of care was maintained. There was an organisational structure in place and staff understood their roles, responsibilities and contributions to the service. The registered manager told us how they supported staff and promoted a positive team work culture which included staff activities to boost morale, such as team days going bowling and enjoying eating out, holding seasonal events, LGBT+ network for staff, mindful mums and mindful dads network, bitesize lunch seminars which provides staff with insight to other groups, providers employee assist programme and staff well-being plans at induction and reflective practice plans to enable and enhance good practice.

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The registered manager promoted an open and transparent culture and encouraged staff to raise issues and concerns so these could be known and addressed.

People and their relatives consistently told us they felt comfortable and confident in raising any issues, knowing they would be addressed swiftly and effectively. People and their relatives also shared they felt staff were very proactive, listened to them with understating and empathy, involved in their care needs and decisions, and felt reassured staff would react and address any concerns promptly. A person told us, “[Staff] reported a bad bruise that suddenly appeared on [loved ones] arm one day after another agency had been in to complete one of their calls. The office was on to me straight away and fortunately, I had been there, so I could explain what had happened that caused the bruising. I realise they [staff] only have [loved ones] best interests at heart.”

Staff told us they felt confident they could always speak to the registered manager when they needed and felt listened to and very much supported. A staff member commented, “The manager is very supportive, and I feel very comfortable and confident speaking with her. We all work very well together to ensure people are safe and receive the care they need, it’s a very open and inclusive culture here.”

Staff told us they felt safe and supported to use the providers whistleblowing policy highlighting any issues of poor practice if required. There were effective systems in place for raising concerns, including an engrained manager open-door policy and robust leadership which actively encouraged open communication within the service. Staff told us they felt valued and were regularly encouraged to contribute ideas for service improvements. Supervisions and team meetings were held on a regular basis, providing structured opportunities for staff to share feedback and raise any concerns.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

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.

Throughout the assessment, the registered manager demonstrated excellent skills and knowledge to provide a well-led service. They had an excellent understanding of their responsibilities and were aware of guidance for providers on ensuring the regulations were met. People and their relatives spoke very positively about the service and how well it was managed. Comments included, “I think this service is invaluable, especially these days with more family members being the carer since costs have escalated. They [staff] make me feel I am as important as [loved one] which is nice. It’s a lifeline for me”, “I can’t speak highly enough of them [staff]. From the office staff, down to the sitters who look after me now. They are a Godsend”, and “They [staff] are very professional, caring, well run and ask all the right questions. It is refreshing to have a care company ask if you are ok. To most people providing care now, you are invisible.”

There were clear and effective systems of governance in place to review and monitor all aspects of performance within the service. These provided an oversight of the quality of service provided which enabled the registered manager to monitor outcomes and to help drive continuous improvement within the service. Audits and checks covered areas such as, care plans and records, complaints, accidents and incidents and safeguarding concerns. The provider had effective systems in place for storing people's care plans, records and data safely and confidentially.

The registered manager made themselves available to people and staff across the service. They chaired regular meetings and engaged with people to support and hear about their experiences of the support they received and the outcomes they achieved. People, relatives and staff were provided with opportunities to give feedback about the service helping to drive service improvements. The provider had systems in place to collect equality, human rights, diversity and inclusion data to help improve and support the service and its workforce. The registered manager attended many forums and multi-disciplinary meetings to share good practice and further enhance the service.

We did not look at Partnerships and communities during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.