Peterborough

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 service. This key question has been ratedgood.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,strategyand 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 described a positive working culture and told us morale wasvery good. Comments from staff included, “[Managers] are supportive, approachable and ensure staff wellbeing while maintaining high standards of care”,and “The management is accessible. Everyone including the directors can be contacted if I need to contact them.”

Staff enjoyed working at this service and were proud of the work they did. Staff told us they would recommend this service to both people requiring support and as a place to work. A member of staff said, “Yes, I would recommend this service to other people because[service]is person-centred, respectful, and focused on each individual’s safety, dignity, and wellbeing.”

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.

Leaders were knowledgeable,compassionate and understood the needs of the people they supported. Staff described the managers as approachable,responsive and supportive, saying they could call them at any time and would always receive help.A relative told us,“The manager is available on the phone, I have also seen her several times at [persons home]. She seems to run the service well as far as I am concerned.”

Professionals spoke highly about the managers, one said, “The response time is great and [registered manager] and [nominated individual] have always been available to discuss concerns with the service user and find ways to move forward.”

Leaders were committed to modelling positive values and inclusive practice; they knew people well and ensured staff were matched carefully to people with shared interests or compatible communication styles.

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

The provider had a whistle-blowing and complaints policies which was shared with staff. Staff felt confident to raise any concerns with the registered manager and senior staff.The provider ensured staff had the tools to be able to share concerns or give feedback. In addition to regular staff surveys, there was also an anonymous online form which was sent directly to the nominated individual to address and share where appropriate with registered managers. There was also an exit questionnaire in place which allowed staff to share reasons for leaving and any additional information which would benefit the people and service.

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.

Information provided to us from the provider told us they encouraged and recognised that a diverse workforce can improve service quality. They encouraged applications from underrepresented groups, provided reasonable adjustments during interviews and highlighted their commitment to equality in job adverts. Flexible working agreements were offered to support staff with childcare, religious or health needs. The leaders reflected that this had resulted in a more representative staff team with strong cultural understanding.

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 and quality monitoring systems were in place, including regular meetings, a programme of audits and improvement plans to support learning and improvement.Business continuity plans and individual emergency plans were in place and staff had easy access to them. Leaders kept up to date with statutory guidance, including requirements to notify the Care Quality Commission.

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.

Staff and managers worked closely with a range of community-based services, including GPs, local authorities and specialist community nursing, to help ensure people’s needs were met. Staff made referrals to professionals when they identified that people needed support to reduce risk to their health or independence, for example to the falls team or district nurses. Feedback from partners and local authority partners was positive.Professionals told us, “All staff I have spoken or worked with have given time to the service user and worked with professionals in a creative and innovative way to tailor support best suited for the individual”, and “I would highly recommend their support to others and they are always a provider I would consider for the people I work with.”

Professionals also commended the service for the support they also provided to them as colleagues. Speaking about one of the registered managers they said, “[Registered manager] has been patient and meticulous in how she manages and supports the ICB (integrated care board) in identifying the right support staff.” 

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.

There was clear evidence that audit findings and feedback from people and others were routinely reviewed and used to drive improvement. This approach was consistently applied and shared across the whole staff team; learning was embedded within day-to-day practice and used to improve outcomes for people.