Baobab Social Care Ltd - Somerset

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.

At our last inspection we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 79 (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 clear vision, strategy and culture. The management team was described as accessible, responsive, and communicative.

People and relatives told us they were very happy with the care and support provided by staff. The had a good relationship with staff and managers. One relative said, “The people in the office are always very friendly. We are happy and have no complaints.”

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.

People and their relatives liked and trusted the management team.

Staff were very positive about their roles and demonstrated passion in the way in which they spoke about the people they supported and the satisfaction this gave them. One staff member said, “Baobab management is exemplary, creating an open environment where staff feel valued and heard.” Another staff member told us, “The leadership is effective and dedicated to both carers and clients.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The registered manager promoted an open culture where people, relatives and staff were asked for their views of the service provided.

People and their relatives told us they were actively encouraged to share their views and provide feedback about the service. One person told us, “I am happy with my care and have no complaints. Management are good at communicating, and I really feel they listen to me.”

People received regular visits and calls from care supervisors. Where comments from people were received the service continued to address them. One relative said, “The managers seem very good and helpful. [A care supervisor] came out about 10 days ago and assessed the carers and everything is going well.”

Staff felt valued and empowered to contribute ideas and feedback. One staff member said, “The management team is approachable and open to feedback.”

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Managers and staff told us they enjoyed working with each other. There was a good sense of teamwork and communication was good. Managers and staff listened to all concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events.

Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. There was a clear vision for the service to deliver high quality and safe care to people. There was a focus on learning, and improving the service wherever possible.

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.

Quality assurance processes had been significantly improved. Governance processes were now effective and helped to hold staff to account, keep people safe, protect people's rights and provide good quality care and support.

There were a series of quality assurance checks in place to review the performance of the service. These included auditing, spot checks on care staff, client questionnaires and a feedback form for a selection of people and/or their relatives to fill in. Every care review also had built in quality assurance questions so feedback was also gained at each review.

The registered manager and care supervisor also visited people and their families informally at times to check they were happy with the service. One staff member said, “I visit clients regularly and carry out spot checks on carers. I carry out care reviews and sometimes I just pop in to see our clients if I happen to be passing where they live.”

Records demonstrated actions were taken on the findings of the various reviews.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The service had an excellent and highly effective working relationship with other health and social care professionals and other agencies and support networks to ensure people received consistent, high quality care. The manager and staff understood the importance and benefits of working in close partnership with others.

The registered manager was a local ‘community connector’ who signposted people in need to a variety of community services, such as `social services, NHS outreach and mental health support. The provider also provided care to relatives of people they cared for to ensure they did not become isolated as ‘family carers’. For example, they had referred relatives to local support groups and other groups which provided social and leisure activities for carers or people at risk of social isolation. The provider had recently started to work with a local school offering students work experience opportunities.

The registered manager was an active member of the local care providers association and regularly helped organise and attend events and meetings. They collaborated with training partners and various social care networks with new initiatives and in sharing best practice. They had participated in pilot projects and had taken on a ‘champion’ role in the development of the county’s new health and care academy. One professional said, “This is a great example of the system working. [The registered manager] is always happy to help, an ambassador for young men working in social care and a pleasure to work with.”

Another social care professional told us, “[The registered manager] demonstrates his willingness and enthusiasm to participate in current issues, opportunities and best practice impacting care services and ensures that he is up to date. Ultimately ensuring the best outcomes and experiences for individuals supported by Baobab Care.”

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local systems. 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 management team were proactive in using information from feedback, audits, complaints, incidents and safeguarding alerts to improve the service. The managers worked with staff to understand what happened if things went wrong and involved them in finding solutions to prevent recurrence.

A health professional told us, “I would like to reiterate that [the registered manager] has been highly responsive and supportive throughout [our joint working]; development in key areas are being addressed and implemented. His commitment to improving standards through education and open communication is greatly appreciated.”