Care Quality Services Oldham

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 after registering with a new provider. 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.

The registered manager and wider management team demonstrated a positive, compassionate and listening culture. Staff spoke positively about the support they received and the culture of the service. Comments included, “I feel supported and valued in my role. Training and communication are excellent, [provider] genuinely prioritises the wellbeing of both clients and carers”, “The team relationship here is solid”, and “I love my job, I am very happy here. I couldn't imagine doing anything else.”

There was a policy on equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff all received training in this topic. People, their relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback on the service to help shape its future. A person told us, “They [service] ask for feedback, they [staff] come and ask me.”

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.

There was an organisational structure in place and staff understood their roles, responsibilities and contributions to the service. The management team were responsive when things went wrong and took action to make improvements. Throughout the inspection, management and staff we spoke with acted with openness, integrity and transparency.

Staff praised the provider, registered manager and the wider management team. Staff spoke positively about the support they received. Staff told us, “[Provider]is well led. Management are supportive, communication is clear, and the focus is always on providing safe, high-quality, person-centred care” and “We are in a good place. [Registered manager] is good and acts upon concerns.”

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

The service demonstrated a positive, compassionate and listening culture. Staff and leaders acted with openness, honesty and transparency. The service had a whistleblowing policy in place. Staff we spoke with told us they felt able to speak up about any issues and their concerns would be listened to and acted upon.

People and their relatives told us when they could raise concerns about their care and support when they needed to. They felt able to approach and speak with management and staff.

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.

The provider’s recruitment process and internal processes meant staff were recruited fairly and workforce equity was promoted. The provider employed a wide range of staff with diverse backgrounds.

Management understood the importance of having a fair and inclusive workplace. Staff received relevant training and supervision to support their knowledge and understanding of equality, inclusivity and fairness in the workplace.

Staff told us they felt they were valued, treated with respect, and the registered manager fostered an inclusive and fair environment.

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 systems were in place to monitor the standard of care people received. Staff had regular contact with people and completed regular reviews, which also reviewed the quality of care received. Various regular meetings took place with different staff teams, which also looked at the quality of care and performance.

The provider had robust auditing systems in place and an internal auditing team to monitor the effectiveness of the service and drive improvements. Various auditing systems were in place and timely action was taken if follow up work was required. Regular audits of people’s care plans, medicine records, recruitment files and daily records took place.

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 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.

In our review of people’s care records, conversations with the registered manager and staff, we found the provider was in contact with relevant health professionals to ensure people’s needs were met in a timely way.

Feedback from external health and social care professionals was positive. A social care professional commented, “I have found the provider to be open and transparent and engage with the local authority on a regular basis.”

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.

Processes were in place to ensure learning happened when things went wrong and examples of good practice to support further learning were shared. The provider also had initiatives to recognise good practice through issuing awards and prizes to staff.

Systems and processes supported ongoing learning and development, including regular training sessions, team meetings, and supervision for both staff and managers. Feedback from people, relatives, and staff was actively sought through surveys, with responses used to inform service development.