Verve Homecare Sussex 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.

Leaders promoted a clear vision focused on delivering safe, consistent and child‑focused care. Staff understood the values of the service and how these guided their practice.

There was a shared understanding of expectations around safety, communication and partnership with families. Staff told us the culture supported doing things properly and prioritising children’s wellbeing.

One staff member said, “The focus is always on safety and doing the right thing for the child.”

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 demonstrated knowledge of children’s complex care and maintained oversight of care delivery. They were visible and approachable, providing guidance and support to staff.

Families described managers as responsive and accessible. Parents told us concerns were responded to promptly and that leaders were willing to listen and act.

Leaders showed a comprehensive approach which enabled them to maintain high quality care and a supportive environment for staff, people and their families.

One parent said, “Managers are easy to contact and they take things seriously.”

Another said, “In terms of other services we have accessed. Verve and their staff are a breath of fresh air.”

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

The provider promoted an open culture where staff felt able to raise concerns. Staff understood how to escalate issues and felt confident they would be listened to.

Concerns raised by staff were acted upon, supporting safety and continuous improvement. Staff described feeling supported by leadership.

A staff member told us, “You’re encouraged to speak up — it’s not a blame culture.”

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.

Leaders promoted an inclusive and respectful working environment. Staff told us they felt valued and supported, and that their individual circumstances were considered.

This inclusive approach supported staff wellbeing and contributed to consistent, compassionate care delivery.

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 governance systems in place to oversee quality, safety and performance. Audits, reviews and competency checks were completed and used to inform improvement actions.

Records showed actions were followed up and learning shared with staff. Governance processes supported oversight of risks, safeguarding and care quality. This enabled leaders to identify issues early and take appropriate action.

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 provider worked in partnership with healthcare professionals involved in children’s care. Information sharing supported coordinated decision‑making and continuity of care.

Parents told us communication between the provider and professionals worked well and supported safe care delivery.

For example, a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting was arranged between the family, speech and language and community nurses to address a risk to a person’s care. This led to effective changes to that person’s care plan and risk assessments.

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 used feedback from families, audits and incidents to inform improvement. Learning was shared with staff and used to strengthen practice.

The provider had introduced a new governance system which allowed the logging of multi-incidents which will provide a communication portal for staff. This change is specifically aimed at streamlining communication and enhancing oversight of the service. We will assess the effectiveness of this at the next assessment.

Staff described a culture focused on reflection and improvement rather than blame.

One staff member said, “If something isn’t right, we look at how to improve it.”