Yourlife (Dover)

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 ratedGood. 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 71 (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 and values for the property management element of the service. However, the provider had not developed a clear vision for the care services they offered. The provider may wish to consider establishing a clear vision for the care elements of the business to maintain the positive culture at the service.

The registered manager had developed a culture at the service. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement. The ethos flowed through the service people received from the initial assessment to the support they received each day. Staff explained how they empowered people to remain independent whilst respecting their wishes and preferences.

The registered manager 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 told us, “As Manager, I prioritise being present and accessible, fostering trust and open dialogue.” Staff confirmed a manager was aways accessible and provided the support and guidance they needed to fulfil their role.

The registered manager fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. People told us they met regularly with the registered manager and were confident to make suggestions. They told us the knit and natter group had been a suggestion they had made, along with the recently started gardening club, which people enjoyed. A person told us, I never feel intimidated. I could speak out if I needed to.” Staff told us they were confident to raise any concerns they had with the registered manager and other leaders.

The registered manager 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 told us they had never observed any bullying or discrimination and were treated fairly. They told us they worked well together to achieve what people wanted. A staff member told us the team were “Really good and very supportive.” Another staff member told us the team got on well and supported each other. Staff happily swapped shifts when needed, to support their colleagues.

The registered manager described to us how they supported staff to work flexibly to maintain their wellbeing. They described how they had adjusted a staff members work pattern to support them when they returned to work after a period of absence. The staff member told us they were grateful for this and it had aided their recovery.

The registered 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. Regular checks of the service were completed, including observations of staff practice, to give the registered manager and provider assurance the service was being provided to a good standard. Any shortfalls identified had been addressed so they did not continue and impact on people’s care.

The registered manager 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 registered manager was part of the Skills for Care registered manager network and used this to develop their skills and competence and share good practice with others. They worked with health care professionals to ensure staff had the skills and understanding to meet people’s changing needs. For example, district nurses had trained staff to use a new piece of equipment so they could support the person to use it correctly. This had been effective and the need for intrusive checks had been reduced.

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 had put a compliance team in place to support registered managers lead services in response to our recommendations at other locations. The registered manager told us this had made “A massive difference” and they now had the support they needed with regards to care matters.