Helping Hands Ellesmere Port

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. A relative stated, “The management team have always been professional, easily accessible and flexible in their approach”, people’s comments included, “The Manager and office team are a pleasure to work with” and, “The Manager and office team are approachable and always do what they can to help.”

The service had a clear vision and set of values, focused on delivering high‑quality support that enhanced and sustained each person’s overall quality of life. Staff told us, “I don’t have a bad word to say about them, it’d the best company I’ve worked for” and “I don’t feel like a number, and I feel very well supported.”

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.

Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and said they were kind, caring and approachable. Staff told us they felt supported and listened to. Another staff member described being supported through personal circumstances.

When staff had something, they wanted to raise, they could share this in several different ways. The registered manager told us they maintained regular communication with staff, giving them frequent opportunities to discuss any issues or concerns and what went well.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistleblowing policy so staff knew how they could raise concerns.

Staff meeting and supervision records showed that staff were encouraged to raise concerns, share feedback and contribute to ongoing service improvement.

Staff told us they felt confident to raise any concerns and believed they would be listened to and action would be taken if required.

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.

Workforce wellbeing was supported through regular supervision, access to guidance and opportunities for ongoing training.

Staff completed training on protected characteristics, bullying and harassment, helping them to recognise and challenge poor practice. There had been no concerns raised; however systems were in place to ensure any issues would be responded to appropriately.

Arrangements were also in place to provide reasonable adjustments where needed, promoting inclusive and supportive employment practices.

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.

Effective governance arrangements were firmly in place and proportionate to the size and complexity of the service. A programme of audits, spot checks and structured action plans demonstrated consistent management oversight and a clear commitment to maintaining and improving quality. These processes helped the leadership team identify areas of good practice as well as opportunities for further development, ensuring the service continued to operate safely and effectively.

Business continuity arrangements were established, outlining how the service would continue to operate during unexpected events or disruptions. Systems were also embedded to ensure that all required statutory and regulatory notifications would be submitted promptly and accurately, supporting transparency and compliance with regulatory expectations.

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 registered manager explained how they contacted health and social care professionals whenever a person’s needs changed or when additional support was required. This ensured people received timely input from the right professionals. Referrals were made promptly to help achieve the best possible outcomes for each person.

Health and social care professionals told us the service worked well with them and that communication was effective. They described the team as responsive and collaborative, which supported joined‑up working and continuity of care. One social care professional stated, “The Manager and care co-ordinator were responsive and really took an active interest in the case/situation. They had a good insight of the diagnosis of my client and had introduced staff members who had developed a good relationship with them.” Another social care professional said, “All information recorded was clear and captured specific needs and outcomes for the person supported. I have received positive feedback from 2 family members who stated the carers were very good and all had the right skills, knowledge and experience to provide a good standard of care.”

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 provider had effective systems in place to learn through a selection of audits and use this learning to drive ongoing improvement. We also saw evidence that learning was shared with staff through team meetings, helping to ensure everyone understood what had happened and how practice could be strengthened.

Leaders and staff demonstrated a strong understanding of how to make improvements happen, including how to measure outcomes and evaluate the impact of any changes made. Staff meeting minutes reflected a consistent focus on identifying areas for development, discussing solutions and providing support to embed change. This approach helped create a culture of openness, reflection and continuous improvement across the service.

The provider actively sought feedback from people, staff and relatives. Helping Hands Ellesmere Port had received a recognition/award for positive and independent feedback for their service.