Cygnet Care (Devon) 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 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 71 (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. People told us, “The service is well managed and proactive” and “I would certainly recommend the service.”

The service had clear a vision and values, which included focussed on providing a service of the highest quality to improve and sustain people’s overall quality of life. A staff member said, “This is the best care company I have worked for – the best communication, management and everything.”

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.

Staff were positive about the leadership of the service and felt the registered manager was caring. The registered manager regularly worked alongside care staff to deliver care and knew people really well. Staff told us they felt listened to. Staff members said, “(Registered manager’s name) is amazing, she is the best boss I have ever had and the office staff are so supportive and we get regular phone calls” and “My manager is very approachable, will give advice, support and help when necessary. She will also listen to carers advice, ideas and concerns.”

When staff had an issue, they could feed this back in several different ways. The registered manager told us they speak regularly with staff.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistleblowing policy so staff knew how they could raise concerns.

Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns. One staff member said, “Communication is open, and I feel listened to.”

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.

We saw evidence of staff feedback collected by the service, which was positive. Almost all staff told us they were treated fairly.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. Whilst a medicines audit was in place, it did not enable the service to recognise the shortfall identified during this assessment.

The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities and worked to ensure the service operated to a high standard. There were systems and processes in place to support operational oversight, identify issues, and drive improvement.

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 described how they contacted health and social care professionals when people’s needs changed, or they needed support. Referrals were made to health and social care professionals to ensure the best outcomes for people. Professionals told us the service worked well with them, and communication was good.

A relative said, “The manager has been invaluable for advice over many years. She also has good links with other professionals like physio and care coordinators."

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. The service had improvement plans and these were continuing.