Care Navigation

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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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 registered manager was the owner of Care Navigation. They were very passionate about the service, and staff at all levels were proud of the organisation and the culture. This focused on supporting people to achieve their aims and have a good quality of life.

The registered manager was knowledgeable about their regulatory responsibilities and had created a service development plan. The management team monitored progress and were aware of the potential barriers or challenges to achieving the service’s aims.

The management team led by example, and staff told us they were approachable. Staff felt comfortable speaking with them and raising concerns. There were staff meetings and regular updates to ensure changes to people’s needs or other information could be shared. Comments from staff included, “The managers listen. They are approachable and helpful” and “It's been positive having more managers join the 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.

The management team had recently expanded, but staff knew the new leaders and spoke highly of them. One staff member told us, “Now there is a quicker response to us because there are more managers. They address problems quickly. It's been a game changer.” Managers were experienced and had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They had quickly established priorities and were working with the registered manager to make positive changes in the service.

Senior staff and managers completed mandatory and additional training and accessed support from within the organisation and were involved in wider networks to support their learning and development.

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

Systems were in place for people and their relatives to speak up and raise concerns or make suggestions. A complaints and compliments policy included different ways to raise concerns, the process for dealing with concerns, further steps that could be taken and signposting to other organisations who may be able to offer support or guidance.

Staff told us they would be able to speak up if they had concerns. This could be informally, during supervision or staff meetings or in staff surveys. Staff were confident they would be listened to and respected.

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 employed a large number of staff from other countries on sponsorship licences and they were valued members of the team. Staff came from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and experience.

The provider had policies and procedures in place regarding equality, diversity and inclusion and staff had received relevant training.
 

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles and systems of accountability. Governance was being developed by the new management team. This supported the effective management and delivery of good quality, sustainable care. The provider acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Quality monitoring systems were in place, and these had been further developed since the business manager joined the team. Checks of the safety and standard of care and audits were now completed more consistently. The ongoing development of governance systems will support oversight and aid future development of the service.

Notifications were submitted as required to CQC and referrals made to local authority when concerns arose.

We received positive feedback from staff about how the service was run. Staff had access to the information and resources they needed to fulfil their role, and felt managers were supportive.

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 management team worked in partnership with other organisations and professionals to provide effective support and joined up care. Professionals told us they enjoyed working with Care Navigation and believed they provided a good standard of care. One professional said, “Overall, Care Navigation deliver a high-quality, person-focused service and are a pleasure to work with.”

Staff supported some people to integrate within the wider community to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life. A staff member described how they had helped a person to get a bus pass, and how this had opened new opportunities as the individual enjoyed travelling by bus and interacting with the people they met.
 

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.

The registered manager and senior team were open and transparent during this inspection. There was a strong commitment to improving and developing the service and the registered manager was open to suggestions and feedback.

The new service management plan included details of planned outcomes, outcome measures, actions required, responsibilities, timeframes and risk assessments. This demonstrated that the provider planned to make improvements happen in a measurable way.

The provider had invested in improvements such as electronic systems and encouraged staff to undertake additional training or development programmes. Staff were also rewarded for good practice or achievements.