Prime Care Domiciliary Essex

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion. The service focused on engagement with people and their communities gaining an understanding of their needs. The Operations Manager told us they had worked hard to change the structure and processes within the service to drive improvements. The Operations Manager told us, “We have worked extremely hard to change our processes to ensure they are more robust, and we now have effective and efficient systems in place.” The management had clear values and had developed a listening culture where staff felt they were available for them to talk to.

The service 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. The management were clear about their roles and had the skills, knowledge and experience to perform their job. The Operations Manager told us they regularly read guidance and kept up to date with any changes and were also part of the Essex Care Association, and the registered manager and care coordinator recently started a leadership course to continue to drive positive outcomes in the service. A relative told us, “The manager is very effective, And I am very grateful how easy it was to reduce the timings. Emails are easy and always get responded. I also had to change some hospital appointments around, and [Care coordinator] was so helpful to accommodate the changes.”

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. There was a policy and processes for staff to follow on ‘whistle blowing.’  We reviewed staff meeting minutes and saw they included information about the service as well as reminders about training, staff rota’s, safeguarding, incidents and PPE.

Management held regular discussions with people to share their thoughts about how the service was ran and to discuss the support they received and if any improvements could be made.

A member of staff told us, “We have regular meetings and supervisions with the manager which is a good opportunity for us to discuss anything with them.”

A staff survey had been sent out for staff to complete. The management collated results to analyse for any themes or trends. Management told us the survey results are discussed during staff meetings and supervisions.

The Operations Manager told us they had several systems in place to help them monitor outcomes for people. This included asking people for their feedback through meetings and telephone calls and the completion of surveys on their care experience. Survey results were analysed for themes and trends see where improvements could be made and shared with people and relatives.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. The service worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. There was a policy in place to protect staff from harassment and bullying and a focus on protected characteristics under the Equality Act. The Operations Manager had developed an inclusive workforce and recognised the value of diversity amongst the team.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. Improvements had been made since our last assessment and the service was no longer in breach of regulations. The management had established a number of audits which provided them with a good oversight of the service. The management had given staff a clear direction of their vision for the service. Staff understood their role and contribution in sustaining improvements. We received positive feedback from a health professional. They told us, “PrimeCare have kept in touch with us regularly, providing updates on their progress and completed actions, including training evidence for their staff.”

The service 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 management and staff shared the same goal to provide positive outcomes for people. Staff were encouraged to discuss and share ideas for improvement and innovation with management. A health professional told us, “We have not had any concerns about this provider since the warning notices were issued. They remain a highly responsive and flexible provider, helping to cover care for those in rural and hard to source areas.”

The service 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. The management was actively supporting staff with learning and innovative ways of working at the service. Staff were encouraged to develop their skills and were supported to obtain nationally recognised qualifications. One member of staff said, “I have completed lots of training including the care certificate when I first started and continue to do regular trainings.”