Ourway Care Ltd

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 registered manager was also the provider. They were committed to providing holistic care and support to people, and this was supported with a strategy, policies and procedures. They, and the staff team understood the vision and values to provide good quality care. There was a clear management structure, and the staff, people and relatives knew how to contact the management team.

People and relatives told us they valued the culture of the organisation.A person told us, “Their ethos from the beginning is what [staff] said; it’s person-centred care and that’s what they provide.” A relative said , “This is a company that will provide that duty of care that is promised and ensuring this each and every day.”

The management team were open and transparent and demonstrated a positive inclusive culture and approach to develop the service and to ensure people remained at the heart.Bespoke staff team were recruited for people and trained to provide personalised care to meet people's individual needs. Staff told us there were incentives and they were rewarded for their commitment and good practice. Staff told us how they were supported as employees and encouraged with their own development. There were regular meetings so staff could share their experiences and learn together.

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 registered manager with the support of the clinical lead and managers team were involved in the day-to-day running of the service. This included providing advice, support, training and when required providing care and support to people alongside their regular staff team. This meant they were aware of people’s needs and had oversight of any issues or challenges to resolve.

The registered manager and clinical lead demonstrated their knowledge of good care practices and confidently spoke about the care and support needs of all the people they supported. They spoke of people and staff with genuine respect and care.

People and their relatives told us they knew who the registered manager was. Staff were confident management dealt with any concerns quickly and confidentially as required. Staff felt supported by the management team through regular meetings and supervision sessions.

The registered manager demonstrated a proactive approach to addressing concerns identified during the assessment. Feedback we received from people about how the service was managed was positive. One person told us, “They always keep me informed of any changes. The manager does visit quite regularly, and because I’ve worked with them before we all have a good understanding.” A relative said, “The director of the company [Registered manager] has been the most supportive professional over the last year or so, and has ensured, promised and followed through with the guarantee of [Person] receiving the care they deserve from the second [Registered manager] company took over their package.”

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

Management operated an open-door policy and welcomed feedback from staff. There were a range of mechanisms to enable staff to speak-up confidentially and raise concerns anonymously. These were supported by whistle-blowing procedures. The registered manager confirmed confidential support for staff had been confirmed and they were in the process of informing staff. The registered manager was the ‘speak up’ champion. However, as the service has grown, they recognised the need for impartially and were in the process to identify a suitable member of staff.

Staff told us they were able to speak up about any concerns or issues they had. They told us they were well supported by the management team and were able to approach different members of the management team with issues. One staff member told us, “I feel valued as an employee working for Ourway. I am listened to and supported in every aspect. I can reach them at any time of the day or night for advice on a clients care or any other issue.”

Staff told us they had regular staff meetings and private supervision meetings, which gave them opportunities to speak up or generally talk about ideas or improvements. This supported our observation of the registered manager’s proactive approach to strengthening processes.

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.

There were systems, procedures and training in place to promote equality and inclusion within the staff team. The registered manager ensured there was equality of opportunity, experience and development for staff in place. Staff told us they felt valued, supported and had opportunities to develop which enhanced their wellbeing. One staff member told us, “Very positive work environment with supportive managers.”

Staff told us morale was high, and there was an inclusive culture where they all felt they were treated fairly and equally with regards to their protected characteristics, for instance with flexible working patterns and support. One staff member told us, “You feel very much a part of the team rather than them and us. I feel they have a lot of trust in our abilities as carers and give us the recognition and respect we deserve.”

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.

The provider had a range of quality assurance processes in place to help promote effective governance. Audits and checks were carried out to monitor the good quality of service that was being delivered to people, and the efficiency of the service, to help drive improvements. These included checks on the care records in relation to the care and support provided, health related tasks, review of daily care notes and support with medicine and health tasks and checks for new risks or concerns.

The registered manager showed us how they audited people’s care records, and used specific reports generated to identify trends which were actioned where needed. The provider measured the service’s compliance against CQC’s assessment framework to continually improve and develop.

Staff were supported through regular staff meetings, supervisions and information was shared promptly to address any issues. A staff member told us, “They are always there to help when you need them. And they are very reliable and trustworthy company and always have compassion for their staff and clients.” Regular observations were carried out by the management team which gave leaders opportunities to observe care delivery and receive direct feedback from people.

Management and staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and could contact the office when required to clarify any information. People, relatives and staff all consistently told us the service was well managed and well organised. Everybody we spoke with consistently told us they would recommend the service to others. A person said, “It’s a really good service. They’ve been fantastic with me. It’s finally nice to have something like it.”

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 had established good partnership working with various organisations and external stakeholders to provide positive outcomes for people. For example, working with health professionals to ensure staff had up to date guidance and instructions to help people to manage their health condition and stay as independent as possible.

Staff told us management team knew who to contact if people required additional support from other healthcare professionals such as GPs, district nurses and hospital staff. A person told us, “My care manager supports me in anything that I wish to do and offers emotional support when needed. They regularly visit me just to catch up which is appreciated. My carers have become like family, and I think that Ourway promotes this ethos.”

Management and staff also worked with recognised associations for specific health conditions and shared learning with staff. A person told us; “It’s very well led. They seem to have got a lot of experience of clients with spinal injuries. I think that’s what they specialise in. They’re very well equipped for those sorts of clients.”

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 management team promoted an ethos of continuous learning and development. The registered manager was responsive to feedback during the on-site visit and acted quickly to manage specific risk to people and strengthened the recruitment policy and procedure to reflect people’s involvement. Changes were immediately communicated with all staff to ensure people’s safety and wellbeing.

A staff member told us, “Now monthly check-in with staff as especially when covering nights to ensure no risks or additional support required, and they have enough rest time.” This demonstrated the registered manager had implemented regular wellbeing checks for staff providing 24 hours care and support in response to concerns raised.

The registered manager told us they were members of Skills for Care, Spinal Care Association and research and worked with the commissioners to collaboratively deliver care that was tailored to meet people’s needs.