Anchor Trust (The Laureates)

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 remained 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 provider had a clear statement of purpose in place that was appropriate to the service. Staff received regular support and training, which helped them demonstrate the organisation’s values in their day to- day- work with people. Staff were positive about the culture within the service. Comments included, “We are like a family” and “Good culture, it’s a small team.”

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.

People and their relatives told us the management team were approachable and involved them in reviews of their care. People told us they were happy with the service provided.

Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the service and were clear about their responsibilities. They told us they felt well supported by the management team. One member of staff said, “Absolutely amazing. I’ve never had managers as good as I have now. They are 100% there for you and 100% supportive.”

The registered manager had good oversight of the service and understood how to continue to develop and improve it.

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

The provider completed regular surveys to give people and staff the opportunity to provide feedback about their experiences, and this information was used to make improvements to the service. Staff told us there were regular team meetings where they could discuss concerns, challenges and ideas for improvement. One member of staff said, “I feel I can talk up; the managers are approachable. Yes, there are team meetings regularly, every few months.”

The registered manager told us there was an open-door policy, which supported a culture where people and staff felt able to speak up.

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 had policies and procedures in place regarding equality, diversity and inclusion, and staff had received training in equality and diversity. We saw evidence that, where needed, the provider made reasonable adjustments for staff to support them with their personal circumstances, including offering additional support or adaptations to enable them to undertake their role.

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.

Audits fed into an overarching action plan that supported management oversight and helped evidence and maintain compliance. The provider had developed a range of quality assurance checks to monitor the care being delivered. In addition, the provider had established contingency plans for people’s individual care in the event a staff member was unable to attend a scheduled visit.

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 provider worked with other healthcare professionals and shared information when required to help ensure outcomes were positive for people using the service. Feedback from external professionals was positive. One professional told us, “I am overall happy with the performance of the team and strongly believe that they have their service users’ best interests at heart. Under the five key headings, I would say the team are delivering in my opinion and insight.”

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.

Following audits, where shortfalls in the service were identified, the provider took steps to understand what good care looked like and how to develop a service that was responsive to people’s needs. The registered manager and staff spoke with pride about the service and the quality of care delivered to people. Staff shared positive feedback, including comments such as, “It’s amazing” and “I think it’s good, I feel supported.”