Pennings View

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 82 (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 challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The provider had a set of values which were available on literature at the organisation, on their website and made available to staff through induction training. Management told us it was made clear to staff during interview what the provider values were and standards of care and support expected. Staff told us they really enjoyed working for the provider, they all felt it was a good company who looked after the staff. One member of staff said, “National Care Group are good, I love the company. I will work for them as long as I can as they look after everyone. There is no preference for any member of staff, no discrimination, everyone is equal.”

Management undertook unannounced out of hours visits which helped them monitor the safe delivery of care. They also led by example when working alongside staff and ensured staff understood the standards of care required.

The service manager told us staff were not able to carry out activities such as personal care until people were comfortable with the staff and had time to get to know them. This made sure people were not receiving care from staff they did not know.

The service manager told us they had confidence staff would share any examples of other staff not working to expected standards. There was an open and transparent culture at the service where staff felt able to share any concerns.

Without exception staff we spoke with told us they enjoyed working at the service and were passionate about providing good person-centred care. Staff told us everyone at the organisation including management teams wanted the best for everyone living at the service. Staff said they regularly saw members of the senior leadership team at the service. Everyone was approachable. One member of staff said, “I am really happy here, individuals have a lot of opportunities. [Service managers] management style really restored my faith that management are here for the individuals, it touched me. The respect everybody has for each other is lovely.” We observed leaders and staff working together, treating people and each other with respect, dignity and compassion.

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.

There was a clear management structure at the service which was known to all. Whilst the registered manager was available and leading the service a service manager was responsible for day-to-day management operations. Feedback about the management from staff was consistently very positive. In particular the staff felt the service manager was very inclusive, understanding and was a very good organiser. Comments from staff included, “The manager is amazing, they are good at their job, very organised. [They are] really interesting and very respected in the house” and “I can’t praise the managers enough, I told them I wanted to progress, and they have done everything to help me, they explain the roles, they show patience with me. They understand my ways of thinking.”

Staff told us they were encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills and had opportunities to progress in their careers. Staff were able to learn from the management team as they had the experience and knowledge about managing this service and supporting people to achieve good, positive outcomes. Staff had opportunities to develop into team leader roles and learn how to do medicines management.

Management had a very good understanding and knowledge about people’s needs. They spoke passionately about improving outcomes for people and helping them lead fulfilling lives. The service manager said, “Staff will talk about how they are going to make the day good for people, always moving activities around for people working with them to do what they want. People are part of their community, getting involved in anything local, everyone has their own goals.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had systems to make sure staff could speak up about any concerns. Staff knew how to report and share any concerns and told us they had a variety of ways to do this. There was a whistleblowing process which gave staff a telephone number or email address to use if they were concerned about any issue. The quality team working for the provider were also speak up guardians, and their contact details were available for staff if needed.

Staff were very clear about escalating any concerns if they felt they were not being dealt with appropriately. Staff understood they could raise concerns externally to the service, for example, contacting the local authority safeguarding teams.

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 for all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff were provided with training and had a fair and inclusive environment to work within. Staff could access a range of resources on electronic applications. For example, there was information and resource on wellbeing, mental health support, rewards and benefits and different cultures.

The provider was open with everyone about potential for discrimination and disrespect. We saw learning from a national incident which incited elements of racial discrimination and how the provider had looked at lessons learnt from this. This meant that the risks of discrimination were well considered, and staff knew how to work inclusively. The provider had produced a booklet sharing information and sources of support for staff if they were worried about anything seen online or experienced in person.

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.

During our last inspection we found that governance system were not effective. During this inspection governance systems were established and carried out by different members of staff. Management completed weekly, monthly and quarterly audits which were recorded on the provider’s electronic system. This meant data could be analysed at various different levels and learning shared across the organisation. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities to notify CQC of any events as required by law.

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.

Staff worked with healthcare professionals to make sure people’s needs were met. Management told us they had a good relationship with the local GP surgery and felt able to contact them for any concern. Management told us they tried to encourage people to go to the surgery for their appointments where possible and appropriate.

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.

The provider had systems to make sure learning was consistently cascaded across their organisation. Staff took time to analyse incidents and accidents to identify better ways of working. They consistently evidenced a focus on minimising distress for people and de-escalating situations that might cause anxieties. This work had improved outcomes for people and enabled people to improve their health and wellbeing.

The provider held governance reviews involving all staff where findings on various topics could be discussed in more details.