Lotus Home Care Hull

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 71 (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.

Staff consistently spoke positively about the service and described a culture where people's needs were placed at the centre of decision-making. Staff told us managers were approachable, responsive and worked with them to address issues. One staff member said the registered manager "Will always find an answer. [They] will act if there are any concerns.”

Staff described good communication across the service, regular team meetings and opportunities to discuss changes and improvements. This supported a culture where people’s views and experiences could be shared and acted upon.

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 and area manager promoted good care standards across the service and worked hard to ensure people received the care they deserved. People and families told us the managers had the skills to manage the service well. One family member said, “I trust them to do the right thing.” One staff member said, when asked about the registered manager, “They are firm but fair, everyone knows what they are doing. If I need anything the office door is always open. [Registered manager] cares.”

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

The provider created an environment where staff felt able to speak up and raise concerns. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of their responsibilities and told us they would report safeguarding concerns, changes in people's needs or other issues to the office. They were confident concerns would be acted upon appropriately. One staff member told us they liked being able to "speak their mind" and felt management would find a way to address any issues raised.

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 was an inclusive and fair culture with equality and equity for staff. All staff were positive about working for Lotus Home Care Hull and felt they were treated with respect.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability. 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.Some governance systems needed improvement to ensure they covered all aspects of care and consistently recorded best practice. Although regular audits, quality assurance processes and management oversight were in place, these had not identified all the concerns found during the assessment. For example, audits had not identified issues with medicines records, including variable dose medicines and pain patch placement. They had also not identified discrepancies in care planning records, such as generic risk assessments and inaccurate equipment information. These findings had not compromised people’s care but showed governance systems were not always fully effective in identifying and driving improvement across the service. The registered manager accepted this feedback during the inspection and planned to expand auditing tools to strengthen oversight and ensure all areas of care were reviewed.

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.Relationships had been built with other health care professionals in the area to help support the service when needed. Appropriate referrals were made to the local authority to support people in receiving good care. One professional told us, “I have no concerns and have appreciated their positive approach to joint working.”

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.Systems were in place to record, investigate and review accidents, incidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns. Records demonstrated that lessons learned could be identified and shared, and oversight was provided by the management team. The provider regularly sought feedback from people, relatives and staff and used this information to inform improvements. Staff received ongoing training, refresher training, supervision and spot checks to support their development and maintain standards of care. Management meetings were held regularly and included discussions about service improvement and future planning. While some governance processes required further strengthening, there was evidence the provider took this feedback on board and planned to use this assessment to promote continuous learning and improvement across the service.