First Support Care

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 newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved 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 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. There were clear visions and values in place, and these were discussed with staff during team meetings and supervisions. The provider's visions and values focused on providing person centred care for people, and feedback we received evidenced people were extremely happy with the staff and how they were supported with their individuality. Staff told us that staff morale was excellent, and this positively impacted them and enabled them to provide good care. A staff member said, “I feel that this is a good place to work. I enjoy knowing that I’m helping to make a difference in people’s lives; the team is supportive, and there’s a positive atmosphere in the workplace, and it is helpful to have open communication and regular check-ins to ensure everyone, staff and service users, feel supported.”

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. Leadership meeting were held regularly, and these focused on monitoring the service for any concerns or key achievements, meeting the regulations and compliance. Staff, relatives and professionals told us communication with the service was excellent and the service was well led. A relative said, “It is 100 percent well led, very communicative, if we have any queries, they are able to help.” Another relative said, “This is the only care company where the management are easy to contact, even if I have a short notice request, they are accommodating and figure out ways to help me out. Say if I needed extra support if [name] is unwell, they are accommodating and move stuff around.” Leaders were open and honest, they reported notifiable incidents and provided us with information and documentation in a timely way throughout our assessment.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Without exception staff told us they were extremely well supported and encouraged to speak up, raise suggestions and report concerns. A staff member said, “I feel as though I can raise concerns with my manager. My manager is approachable and fair to staff members. Our team meetings are held monthly, where we can raise concerns or suggestions and changes can occur based on what is discussed, such as updates to procedures or care plans.” Relatives praised the leadership team and told us the managers were very easy to get hold of and extremely responsive and flexible to their loved ones needs. There were clear whistle blowing procedures in place, and these were discussed during team meetings and supervisions.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them. The provider was dedicated to ensuring staff felt valued and supported staff's diversity and inclusion. Staff told us they were treated fairly and encouraged with their professional development. Staff felt appreciated, listened to and involved. A staff member said, “Our manager is very supportive. They are approachable, listen actively to staff concerns, provide guidance when needed. I have complete confidence in the quality of care we provide and would be comfortable having a family member receive support from our service.” Another staff member said, “The manager is very nice and helpful, and always listens.”

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. Systems and processes were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. This included audits of IPC, medicines, health and safety and records. Call monitoring systems were in place, to ensure staff arrived at people's homes on time and stayed for their allocated times. Staff received policies and procedures and signed to state they had read and understood them. However, some policies required updating, to include the correct manager information. Business continuity plans were in place, which provided information about what action should be taken in emergency events, such as adverse weather conditions.

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. Relatives told us they were updated about any changes to their loved one’s health needs and any incidents which occurred. A relative said, “Staff are always on time, they are really good, they are really caring, reliable and it has been a regular team.” We received positive feedback from partners about how the service operated and how staff worked with them and treat people with dignity and respect.

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. Feedback surveys were in place for staff, people, relatives and professionals. Records evidenced positive feedback from these. Surveys could be further improved, by ensuring evidence of actions taken following this feedback was in place. The service focused on improving the quality of care people received and providing individualised support to people.