Apex Prime Care - Hampden Park

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.

The registered manager and staff shared a clear commitment to providing high-quality, person-centred care. Staff spoke positively about the culture of the service and described working together to achieve the best outcomes for people.

The registered manager promoted an open and supportive culture and demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement. Regular staff meetings and supervision promoted a listening culture were staff felt valued and appreciated. All staff we spoke to told us they felt supported. Staff worked work collaboratively as a team to ensure they met people's needs. This positive team approach helped ensure people received consistent, caring and personalised support.

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.

Staff were supported by a registered manager and deputy manager, with field care co-coordinators and care supervisors working together to support the wider staff team. The registered manager told us they felt well supported within the organisation with regular support from the regional operations manager.

Staff told us the registered manager was hands on and approachable. Staff had access to the information they needed to safeguard people and provide the best care possible.

The registered manager had worked hard to ensure people using the service knew who the manager was with photographs and information shared with people of management and the wider care team. People told us, “I know them all (the management) and have seen them several times. They will try to do whatever they can and are helpful. If we need a change to visit times, they are very helpful. Also helpful with any queries. Their office number goes straight through,” and, “I know the manager and speak to her sometimes. She’s really nice and understanding and has got the team going. She’s been there for a while. She is clear in her e-mails. There’s no problem in contacting the office and asking for any changes,” and “I’ve spoken with the manager several times. She rings me to see if all is OK. Constantly. She’s a first class manager on top of her game. She’s approachable. We can contact them over 24 hours.”

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

There were clear policies in place for staff, including a complaints and whistleblowing policy. Staff told us they were aware of the policy and felt they would be supported if they raised any concerns.

People and their relatives also felt able to raise concerns and were confident these would be addressed promptly. Information about how to make a complaint was available and accessible. People told us, “I have never complained. I think they are wonderful,” and “No complaints. I phoned the office about a minor issue. They listened and sorted out what I wanted.”

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.

Staff spoke positively about the support available to them and their working relationships with colleagues and management. The provider considered people’s individual cultural and religious needs. The provider valued equality and diversity and promoted an inclusive and fair workplace.

The registered manager had made reasonable adjustments to support staff to succeed in their roles, including flexibility in working hours for people who had caring responsibilities. Overseas workers were offered ongoing support to ensure they felt welcomed and supported as well as practical information around public transport, household services and accommodation.

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 including a robust monthly auditing schedule including several in house and regional audits for example, electronic call monitoring, medicines, care documentation. Live alerts could be viewed, for example, if call timings were missed, management and office staff could see when care staff logged in and out of care calls. All aspects of care delivery including daily notes could be viewed and any issues or discrepancies were identified and followed up promptly.

Staff meetings and branch meetings took place regularly; these were used to share information and discuss any improvements or changes as well as an opportunity to bring staff together.

Audits and quality assurance was used to identify any improvements or learning to be taken forward to facilitate ongoing improvement. Information was fed back to staff to ensure improvements became embedded into practice.

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.
Management and staff worked with healthcare professionals, local authorities, pharmacy teams and specialist services to support people effectively. Alongside working closely with people and their relatives to help ensure people received consistent and effective care, staff understood the importance of collaborative working with health specialists involved in people’s care. One health professional told us, “The care staff have offered empathic professional support to the clients and have provided me with detailed information that has facilitated my assessments. The clients have responded positively to the carers, with improvements to their wellbeing, with carers working efficiently and effectively when providing 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 demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. The registered manager was open and receptive to feedback and had used information following inspections at other locations belonging to the provider to introduce improvements at Apex Prime Care Hampden Park. This included introducing the ‘Hello and welcome to Apex Prime care’ document which included photographs and an introduction to the team to ensure people were aware who was managing the service and who they may speak to if they called the office.

A number of digital systems were used to improve recording, oversight and access to all aspects of care provision and relevant information. Live information could be accessed enabling management and staff to monitor calls and documentation.