Altogether Care - Care At Home Limited Beaminster

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.

Staff spoke positively about their roles, the support available to them, and the management team. They told us they felt supported and able to raise concerns or share ideas. The registered manager was visible and approachable, and there was evidence of an open culture where staff felt comfortable discussing issues and learning from practice.

The service had a clear vision for delivering person-centred home care, and staff demonstrated a good understanding of how their roles contributed to achieving this. Staff consistently showed a caring and compassionate approach when supporting people, delivering care that met their needs while maintaining appropriate standards.

Training was provided at all levels to ensure staff understood equality, diversity and human rights, enabling them to deliver safe, high-quality and respectful care. The provider had established values and standards for care, which were introduced during induction and reinforced through regular team meetings and supervision. This helped promote a consistent approach and positive culture across the service.
 

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.

The registered manager was actively involved in the day-to-day running of the service, regularly working alongside staff, including evenings and weekends. This helped maintain oversight of care and ensured leaders remained accessible to staff and people using the service.

Staff spoke positively about the management team and described them as approachable, supportive and responsive. They felt able to raise concerns, share ideas and contribute to service improvement. Leaders demonstrated a commitment to staff wellbeing and inclusion, providing flexibility where needed and supporting staff to observe cultural and religious practices.

Leaders had a good understanding of people's needs and promoted person-centred care that upheld people's rights, choice and independence. They worked closely with people, families and partner agencies to ensure care remained responsive and enabled people to maintain meaningful lifestyles and community connections.

The registered manager had progressed through several roles within the organisation, bringing significant experience, strong local knowledge and established relationships with health and social care professionals. Robust quality assurance systems, regular feedback opportunities and a culture of openness supported continuous learning and improvement across the service
 

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

The provider encouraged staff to raise concerns and promoted the value of doing so. When concerns were raised, the provider investigated considerately. Staff told us they felt confident in speaking up if they had any concerns about the care being provided or any other issues. Some comments from staff members were, “I feel I could always raise any concern with my manager if I needed to.” And “The management team is approachable, supportive and responsive. They listen to staff feedback and take prompt action when issues are raised.”

The provider had up to date policies in relation to safeguarding and whistleblowing and the manager was aware of the importance of supporting staff to speak up.
 

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 demonstrated a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and promoted a culture where staff felt respected, valued and supported. Staff spoke positively about the organisation's values and described a supportive working environment focused on delivering high-quality care.

Equality and diversity were promoted through training, supervision and ongoing development opportunities. Staff had access to training relevant to the needs of people using the service, including specialist health conditions and communication needs. This helped ensure care was delivered in a way that was inclusive, person-centred and responsive to individual circumstances.

The provider supported an inclusive workforce and recognised the diverse backgrounds of its staff. Consideration was given to cultural and religious needs, including flexible working arrangements and support for staff observing significant cultural and religious events. These approaches helped foster a culture of respect, belonging and inclusion.

Staff wellbeing was supported through a range of initiatives, including access to wellbeing resources, mental health support and approachable managers. Staff told us they felt listened to and supported, contributing to a positive and open working environment.

The provider also recognised and celebrated staff contributions through reward and recognition schemes and opportunities for team engagement. Community initiatives and social events further promoted inclusion and strengthened connections between staff, people using the service and the wider community.

Overall, the provider had established a positive and inclusive culture that supported staff wellbeing, valued diversity and enabled staff to deliver compassionate, person-centred care to a diverse range of people.
 

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 effective governance and quality assurance systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service. A range of audits were completed at both service and organisational level, including reviews of care plans, incidents, safeguarding concerns and feedback from people using the service. Regular competency assessments and spot checks supported staff development and helped ensure good standards of care were maintained. People and their relatives were regularly asked for feedback, which was used to inform service improvements.

Leaders maintained good oversight of the service through audits, monitoring and review processes. Governance systems enabled them to identify risks, monitor performance and take action where needed. Statutory notifications were submitted to CQC as required, and leaders used information about risk, quality and outcomes to support decision-making. Staff were engaged in governance processes, and concerns were addressed openly and promptly, supporting a culture of continuous learning and 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.

The service worked with people’s GPs, the district nursing team and local authority as well as other health and social care professionals to help support people’s care. Health and social care professionals were complimentary about the service. A health and social care professional said, “They maintain constructive working relationships with our teams.” Another professional told us, “Over the years I have met for joint visits to solve any issues they are having and have called in for advice, and also when I am going in to try a different care package. They are quick to change how they care for a client and able to take on board the advice and work easily to a new plan.”

Effective systems were in place to foster good working relationships with community health care teams and the local authorities. This meant people’s care provision was joined up and services worked well together.
 

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 had effective systems in place to support continuous improvement. Information from accidents, incidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns was reviewed and analysed to identify trends, with findings used alongside feedback from people, relatives and staff to inform service development and improvement planning.

Training compliance and staff competencies were regularly monitored to ensure staff had the knowledge and skills needed to deliver high-quality care. Staff received ongoing support through training, supervision and performance monitoring, while lessons learned were shared across the service to promote good practice and improve outcomes for people. Person-centred care remained central to the provider's approach to service delivery and development.