Seven Steps Support Limited

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 has 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.

The registered manager and wider leadership team successfully embedded a positive, person-centred culture across the service. Staff understood the values of the organisation and recognised their responsibility to ensure people felt cared for, respected, valued and included. The culture focused on enabling people to achieve the best possible quality of life, maximise independence and achieve outcomes that mattered to them.

People benefited from support delivered by a small, stable staff team that had developed strong and trusting relationships with those they supported. Staff demonstrated compassion, kindness and empathy in their interactions and tailored their approach to reflect each person's communication style, preferences and individual needs. These positive relationships promoted dignity, privacy and respect and enabled people to feel safe and confident in expressing their views and wishes.

Leaders operated an open-door culture and encouraged people, relatives and staff to share feedback, ideas and concerns. The service placed a strong emphasis on listening to people and using feedback to drive continuous improvement. Regular surveys were completed, and members of the leadership team routinely visited people in their homes to gather feedback about their experiences of care, relationships with staff and any changes they wished to make to their support. This ensured people remained at the centre of decision-making and service development.

The service actively promoted co-production and involvement. People were supported to contribute to recruitment processes by participating in staff interviews and developing their own interview questions. Staff also used the ‘choosing my support’ document to identify what people wanted from support workers and how they preferred support to be delivered. Feedback about new staff members was sought following shadow shifts and induction periods to ensure people were satisfied with the support they received.

The leadership team invested in staff wellbeing and development. Staff had access to wellbeing support, training opportunities and an open and supportive management structure. Staff consistently described managers as approachable and extremely supportive and reported feeling listened to and valued. One member of staff stated, "I love working at seven steps. All staff, key workers and managers have people's best interests at heart, striving to make people as independent as possible and helping them have the best experiences in life. Everyone works together as a team and management are always available to help and provide support."

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.

Managers and staff demonstrated a strong commitment to the service and a clear focus on achieving positive outcomes for people. They worked to enable people who used the service, staff and members of the local community to live fulfilling lives. Managers led by example and worked alongside staff each day to provide direct support to people.

The management team adopted an open and transparent approach and engaged effectively with people and staff. They prioritised staff development and created opportunities for staff to learn and progress. This approach contributed to high levels of staff retention and ensured people received support from a consistent, skilled and experienced staff team. The provider introduced a clear career pathway that enabled staff to develop professionally, gain additional qualifications and progress into more senior roles within the organisation.

Staff described the registered manager and management team as exceptionally kind, caring and compassionate. They told us managers made time to listen to their views and respond to concerns. Without exception, staff said the registered manager promoted an inclusive culture where people and staff felt valued and experienced a strong sense of belonging.

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

They told us they felt well supported in their roles and valued as members of the team. Regular staff meetings provided opportunities for open discussion, feedback and learning. Staff said they felt comfortable approaching the management team and were confident their views would be listened to and acted upon.

We observed clear systems were in place to encourage staff to speak up and raise concerns about people's care or the running of the service. The culture promoted openness and transparency, enabling staff to share ideas and contribute to service development.

Relatives and staff felt able to speak openly, provide feedback and raise concerns. Feedback about the service was consistently positive and reflected a supportive and inclusive workplace culture. Staff described feeling respected, supported and involved, and spoke positively about the leadership team and the working environment.

Staff told us the service promoted equality, diversity and inclusion in day-to-day practice. They also said they were supported to develop their skills and progress within their roles. Staff were confident they could raise concerns without fear and that any issues would be addressed appropriately.

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.

The provider ensured the policies and procedures supported equality, diversity and human rights. There was a fair employment process in place which did not discriminate against the protected characteristics, such as age, gender or disability.

Staff felt respected, supported, and valued. They said the service promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for development and career progression. They could raise any concerns without fear.

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.

The service had effective leadership and clear governance arrangements that helped ensure people received high-quality, safe and person-centred support.

The registered manager and management team worked closely together to monitor the quality of the service and drive continuous improvement. Clear systems were in place to review performance, identify risks and monitor outcomes for people. The management team used information from audits, feedback, incidents, complaints, compliments and quality checks to understand what was working well and where improvements could be made.

A range of quality assurance systems helped leaders maintain oversight of the service. Where issues or areas for development were identified, action was taken promptly and progress was monitored to ensure improvements were sustained.

The management team actively sought feedback from people, relatives and staff. Regular surveys, quality visits and conversations with people helped ensure their experiences shaped service development. This helped the management team understand what mattered to people and ensured their views remained central to decision-making.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and spoke positively about the support they received from managers. The management team promoted an open and honest culture where staff felt comfortable raising concerns, sharing ideas and contributing to improvements. Staff described managers as approachable, supportive and committed to achieving the best outcomes for people.

The service also worked closely with healthcare professionals, families and community partners to ensure support remained responsive to people's changing needs and aspirations.

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.

The service worked collaboratively with families, healthcare professionals and partner agencies to improve outcomes for people.

Positive relationships were maintained with GPs, the Community Learning Disability Team and other healthcare professionals. Staff used established referral pathways and maintained effective communication with healthcare services to ensure people's needs were met promptly. One professional said, “The communication between Seven Steps and our practice is excellent. They appropriately email non-urgent concerns, enabling us to prioritise our patients with learning disabilities and ensure continuity of care. Seven Steps also work exceptionally well alongside the Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT) and other health and social care professionals. They are always willing to seek advice, engage with professionals, and ensure that knowledge and recommendations are cascaded throughout their team.”

Strong relationships were also maintained with families. Families received regular weekly updates and were involved in discussions regarding care and support where appropriate. Staff recognised the importance of maintaining trust, transparency and partnership working with relatives and those important to people.

The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting people to lead full and meaningful lives within their local community. They established effective partnerships with local organisations and community groups and created opportunities that promoted inclusion, equality, active citizenship and community participation. Staff supported people to take part in activities that reflected their interests, preferences and aspirations. For example, people attended and performed at a number of community festivals and church services. People participated in local litter-picking initiatives and 1 person won a community award for working tirelessly to keep the streets clean and tidy for the local residents.

Staff also supported 1 person to establish a community micro-enterprise based on their interest in computers, which enabled them to develop skills, increase their independence and pursue a meaningful occupation. As a result, people developed meaningful relationships, increased their confidence and experienced a greater sense of belonging. People were visible, respected and valued members of their community and had opportunities to contribute to activities that promoted their independence, wellbeing and quality of life.

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.

The service promoted a culture of learning and improvement by finding new and creative ways to help people achieve their goals. Staff took time to understand what was important to each person and adapted support to meet individual needs. People were supported to follow their interests, develop new skills, build confidence and take part in their communities. Examples included supporting people to perform at community events, volunteer locally, develop work-related opportunities, reconnect with faith communities and increase their independence.

The provider actively engaged in a nationally supported digital social care improvement initiative, contributing to the development of e-learning resources focused on information governance and cyber security. Staff participated in testing and providing feedback on training materials, which helped strengthen the provider's own approach to data protection, digital awareness and secure handling of people's information.

Leaders encouraged staff to learn, share ideas and continually improve support. They worked closely with people, families, health professionals and community organisations to find better ways of achieving positive outcomes.