Oak Support

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 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 provider promoted a positive, open and person‑centred culture. Leaders modelled the service’s values, and staff understood the expectations for delivering high‑quality care.

The registered manager fostered a culture rooted in openness, accessibility and shared purpose. They described how staff were “very free to talk to me about any individual needs,” and said, “We chat all the time… We have very open conversations,” reinforcing that communication was valued and encouraged across the small team.

The provider ensured that the culture remained person‑centred. The registered manager remained closely involved in day‑to‑day practice, regularly contacting both staff and the person receiving care to understand emerging issues and ensure the service upheld its values.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care 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 registered manager had appropriate expertise, supported staff well and ensured care delivery met professional standards. Leaders promoted inclusivity and openness, ensuring staff felt comfortable raising concerns or seeking advice. The registered manager emphasised that staff could “call me at any time,” reflecting a supportive leadership style that encouraged transparency and wellbeing. Staff confirmed this approach, noting they were always able to speak openly with management and share ideas.

The person receiving care also expressed confidence in the leadership team, describing consistent communication and saying that any issues were addressed quickly.

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

Staff felt able to speak up and raise concerns. Leaders promoted an open culture where staff could report issues without fear and where concerns were acted on appropriately.

Staff described feeling safe and encouraged to raise concerns. A care worker said, “Yes, I feel able to speak up. We talk about everything. We share ideas as well.”

The provider had supporting policies such as whistleblowing and freedom to speak up, which set clear expectations for how concerns should be reported.

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 supported staff fairly and promoted an inclusive working environment. Policies reflected equality and diversity principles, and leaders ensured staff needs were understood and accommodated. Staff reported feeling valued and treated fairly.

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.

Governance arrangements included quarterly management reporting, a complaints register, spot checks, and regular review of care notes. These systems enabled leaders to monitor performance, identify learning and maintain oversight of quality. Spot checks assessed staff practice, infection control, dignity and adherence to policies, with no concerns identified.

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.

Although the service currently supported only 1 person, staff worked with external professionals when required. A care worker said, “When [the person] goes to hospital… we follow the advice given. We document everything and adjust their care if needed.” This ensured that care planning remained clinically informed and up to date.

The registered manager also engaged with professional networks to share knowledge and best practice.

While the service had not yet needed to work with local authority commissioners, the registered manager demonstrated awareness of partnership expectations and expressed clear intentions to collaborate as the service grows.

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.

Systems were in place to review performance, identify learning opportunities and adapt practice. The provider demonstrated willingness to innovate and develop their service and systems, including investing in an electronic care records system to further support scheduling and care monitoring.