Home Instead Mansfield Also known as Syson 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.

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 86 (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 clear and inspiring shared vision, strategy and culture that was embedded throughout the organisation. This was underpinned by transparency, equity, equality, human rights, diversity and inclusion, and reflected a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by people, their families and the wider community. Staff at all levels understood these values and demonstrated them consistently in the way they delivered care and support.

The culture of the service was firmly centred on ensuring the quality of care was never compromised. This commitment was evident from the provider's approach to recruiting and developing staff through to the personalised care people received. Leaders recognised that delivering outstanding care required a skilled, compassionate and values-driven workforce and invested accordingly to ensure staff had the time, knowledge and support needed to provide high-quality care.

The provider placed significant importance on building meaningful relationships with people. Care visits were planned with sufficient time to enable staff not only to meet people's care needs but also to develop trusting and respectful relationships. The provider understood the vital role social interaction played in people's wellbeing and had embedded this within care delivery rather than viewing it as an optional addition. As a result, people experienced care that promoted emotional wellbeing, reduced social isolation and supported them to remain connected to their communities.

The provider demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ensuring people received the right support, even where this extended beyond the services they directly provided. Leaders and staff proactively advocated on behalf of people and sought involvement from other services and professionals when they believed these could better meet a person’s needs. This person-centred approach reflected a culture that always prioritised the best interests of people over organisational boundaries.

The provider's values were consistently translated into action, creating a culture where people, relatives and staff felt respected, valued and listened to. This exceptional commitment to quality, inclusion and partnership working ensured people received compassionate, personalised support and achieved positive outcomes, demonstrating an outstanding shared direction and culture across the organisation.

The provider had capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders who understood the context in which care and support were delivered and consistently embodied the organisation's values and culture. Leaders at all levels were visible, approachable and highly respected by staff, demonstrating integrity, openness and honesty in their day-to-day practice.

Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. The provider invested in their development and ensured they held specialist train the trainer qualifications in key areas, including moving and handling, medicines management and dementia care. This enabled leaders to provide expert guidance, deliver high-quality training and offer timely support to staff, helping to ensure people received safe and effective care.

Staff told us they felt well supported by leaders and valued the accessibility of management. A robust on-call system was in place, ensuring staff could access advice, guidance and practical support at any time. This was particularly important given the lone-working nature of many care roles, and staff described feeling reassured that support was always available when needed.

The provider fostered a positive and open culture where staff felt confident to speak up and knew their views, concerns and feedback would be listened to and acted upon. Staff consistently described leaders as approachable, responsive and supportive.

One staff member told us, "I wouldn't have any worries about speaking with anyone in the office if I had a concern." Another staff member said, "I called the office as I was concerned about someone and they were so supportive. Someone was there in the client's home within 10 minutes to support me."

These comments demonstrated that staff felt psychologically safe to raise concerns and were confident that leaders would respond promptly and appropriately. The provider's commitment to listening to staff and acting on concerns helped to promote a culture of openness, transparency and continuous improvement, ensuring people remained safe and well supported.

The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to valuing diversity and creating an inclusive, fair and supportive culture for its workforce. Equality, diversity and inclusion were embedded throughout the organisation, and leaders actively worked to ensure staff felt respected, valued and able to thrive regardless of their background or circumstances. There was a clear recognition that a supported and diverse workforce was fundamental to achieving positive outcomes for people using the service.

Throughout the assessment process, staff consistently described the provider as caring, inclusive and highly supportive. Staff spoke passionately about the positive culture within the organisation and the genuine commitment leaders showed towards their wellbeing and development. One staff member told us, "This is more than just a job, it's a family. They have helped me overcome so much and be able to remain at work." Another staff member said, "The owner [name] is so invested in each and every one of us [staff] and has proved over and over again that they will help in whatever way they can."

The provider understood the importance of recognising people's different needs and circumstances and took meaningful steps to support staff to succeed in their roles. This helped to create a loyal, motivated workforce that felt empowered to provide high-quality care.

The provider actively promoted equality and equity, ensuring opportunities for development and progression were available to all staff. The inclusive culture was evident in the way staff spoke about one another and the organisation, with many describing a strong sense of teamwork, respect and mutual support. Staff felt confident that they would be treated fairly and that any concerns would be listened to and addressed appropriately.

The provider used comprehensive governance systems to monitor, assess and improve the quality of care provided. Decisions were informed by the best available information relating to risk, performance and outcomes. Members of the office and management team had clearly defined roles and governance responsibilities. There were effective systems in place to monitor compliance, quality and safety through a range of audits, checks and performance reviews. These systems were well established and consistently applied, providing leaders with timely assurance regarding the quality of care people received.

We saw strong examples of governance processes identifying concerns and opportunities for improvement at an early stage. For example, regular medicines audits were effective in detecting medication errors promptly, enabling swift action to minimise risk and maintain people's safety. Findings from audits were analysed and used to identify trends, learning opportunities and areas requiring additional support or oversight.

Where issues were identified, the registered manager maintained effective oversight of actions required and ensured these were followed through to completion. Action plans were clear, progress was monitored and outcomes were reviewed to confirm improvements had been sustained. This proactive approach helped to ensure lessons were learned, risks were reduced and people continued to receive safe, effective and high-quality care.

The provider demonstrated an exceptional understanding of their duty to collaborate and work in partnership with other services, ensuring people experienced seamless, coordinated care and support. Strong relationships had been established with health and social care professionals, community organisations and specialist services, enabling information, advice and support to be shared effectively for the benefit of people using the service.

The provider consistently shared learning, best practice and information with partners and actively sought opportunities to collaborate in order to improve outcomes for people. This proactive approach helped to ensure people received timely support and access to relevant services and resources within their local community.

A particularly strong example of partnership working was the provider's dementia support group for people living with dementia and their relatives. The group provided a welcoming and supportive environment where people could access accurate information about dementia, understand the progression of the condition and learn about the medical pathways and specialist services available to them. The provider worked closely with healthcare professionals and partner organisations to ensure information was current, relevant and accessible.

Through this collaborative and community-focused approach, the provider empowered people and families to make informed decisions, reduced social isolation and strengthened links between services and their local community.

The provider had embedded a strong culture of continuous learning, innovation and improvement throughout the organisation and within the wider health and social care system. Leaders consistently encouraged staff to seek new ways of delivering equitable experiences, outcomes and quality of life for people using the service. There was a clear commitment to reflection, development and the sharing of best practice, ensuring care remained responsive to people's changing needs and reflected current evidence-based approaches.

The provider actively contributed to the development of safe and effective practice and demonstrated a proactive approach to improvement through engagement with sector-leading initiatives. Staff were encouraged to challenge existing approaches, reflect on outcomes and identify opportunities to enhance the support people received. This created an environment where learning was valued and innovation was viewed as an essential part of delivering high-quality care.

A notable example of this commitment was the provider's participation in the pilot of the National Dementia Care Accreditation Scheme (NaDCAS). By engaging with the accreditation process, the provider demonstrated a willingness to critically evaluate and strengthen its dementia care practices. The scheme supported providers to reflect on their practice, enhance organisational culture and improve the everyday experiences of people living with dementia and those important to them.

The provider aims to use the framework's nine foundations to review and develop its approach to dementia care. This will enable teams to build confidence, strengthen their knowledge and skills, and deliver more consistent, compassionate and person-centred care.