Caring Personal Assistants Ltd - Head Office

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 service was previously registered at a different address. This is the first assessment for this service at this address. This key question has been rated outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, and engagement. They demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the challenges faced by people and their communities.

People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity. Staff understood the provider’s vision and values, and these were embedded in the way they delivered care. The registered manager and staff had created a strong, visible person‑centred culture, and all staff we spoke with fully supported this. Staff told us the management team was knowledgeable, inspired a caring approach and led by example.

The provider’s vision and values were discussed with staff during team meetings and supervision. These values focused on delivering person‑centred care, and feedback showed people were extremely happy with the support they received and how staff promoted their individuality. Staff said morale was excellent, which had a positive impact on their ability to provide good‑quality care.

The provider used a strong values‑based approach when recruiting new staff, helping them select people whose personal values aligned with the organisation’s culture. Staff told us the service had a positive, well‑led culture and that they felt genuinely supported in their roles. They described the registered managers as kind, respectful and attentive to the team’s wellbeing. Staff said they could speak openly with leaders and shared examples of times when managers supported them through personal and work‑related challenges.

The provider had exceptionally 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 clear roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience to lead effectively. They led by example with integrity, openness and honesty. This fostered a culture of excellence within the service, which placed people at its heart and maintained a clear focus on achieving positive outcomes. Good oversight by the registered managers meant they were alert to any poor practice that may affect the quality of people’s care and have a detrimental impact on staff. Senior staff had the knowledge and/or experience to ensure people always experienced person-centred care.

The management team were extremely motivated and enthusiastic and were constantly looking for areas they could improve and develop. People and relatives had confidence in the whole staff team. One person said, “My home is well run up to standards I desire. The caring personal assistant’s management team have always been responsive to requests for support with the management of my life and assistance. I have found the services provided by caring personal assistants to of particular high quality. The atmosphere in my flat is homely and relaxed. I cannot think of anything about the service I would like to change relating to care.”

All managers and staff we spoke with displayed a passion for the service and for what they were aspiring to achieve high quality person-centred care. The management team demonstrated an open and transparent management style and were fully engaged with people and staff at the service. A focus on developing and encouraging staff, had resulted in high staff retention rates, which meant people were supported by a consistent, knowledgeable and experienced staff team. The provider had introduced a clear career pathway to support staff with continuous professional development by progressing into more senior roles within the organisation, for example, by gaining additional qualifications and taking on additional duties.

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and deputy manager, saying they felt well supported. They also spoke highly of their colleagues. Staff meetings were held regularly and conducted openly, with opportunities for feedback. Staff told us they felt comfortable approaching the management team and that they were listened to. We observed that there were clear systems in place to support staff to speak up and raise concerns about people’s care or the running of the service.

The culture of the service meant that relatives and staff felt able to speak openly, give feedback and raise concerns. People, relatives and staff were consistently complimentary about the service. The positive feedback demonstrated that staff were extremely happy in their roles. Several staff members described the service as an excellent place to work. One staff member said, “Best service I have ever worked for; they not only care for service users, but they also care for staff as well.” Another said, “The company is small, and staff feel there is a strong open‑door culture where everyone can speak openly.”

Staff reported feeling respected, supported and valued. They said the service promoted equality and diversity in their daily work and provided opportunities for development and career progression. Staff told us they could raise any concerns without fear.

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 ensured the policies and procedures supported equality, diversity and human rights. There was a fair employment process in place which did not discriminate against the protected characteristics, such as age, gender or disability.

Staff felt respected, supported, and valued. They said the service promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for development and career progression. Staff told us they felt listened to, valued and well supported by the leadership team. They understood how their feedback and incident reporting were used to inform learning and drive continuous improvement. This promoted a positive culture where staff felt confident to raise concerns and contribute to service development, resulting in strengthened safety and improved outcomes for people.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

The provider had clear responsibilities, defined roles and effective systems of accountability. Governance arrangements were embedded and ensured the service was managed and delivered to a consistently high standard. Leaders used reliable information about risk, performance and outcomes to inform decision‑making, and shared this appropriately and securely when required.

There were established governance systems that reviewed and monitored all aspects of the service.

Quality assurance systems were robust. The governance framework ensured staff and managers understood what was expected of them and were aware of regulatory requirements. Audits were completed at all levels of the team, and where issues were identified, these were addressed promptly. Systems for staff recruitment, supervision and development were strong. The management team recognised talent within the workforce, encouraged development and provided access to wellbeing resources. Staff told us they felt well supported, and described managers as approachable, knowledgeable and responsive.

Leaders were visible, accessible and actively involved in the day‑to‑day running of the service. They attended and chaired regular handover meetings and engaged directly with people using the service to understand their experiences and the progress they had made.

We saw leadership was strengthened through safe, effective and inclusive recruitment processes. Staff were supported to develop within the organisation, and the provider invested in identifying and preparing internal candidates for key management roles. This approach promoted stability and continuity, and ensured staff moving into leadership positions had the skills and knowledge required.

We saw several examples that demonstrated effective oversight and good governance. This included the management of complex care packages, strong problem‑solving approaches, high‑quality personalised care and positive improvements in people’s health and wellbeing. Staff at all levels understood their roles and responsibilities. The registered manager had a clear understanding of their regulatory duties, including the requirement to be open and honest when things went wrong.

People were involved in decisions about how the service operated. This included opportunities to participate in the recruitment of staff who would be supporting them. For example, people met shortlisted candidates, asked interview questions, or shared their views on the qualities they felt were important in staff.

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 worked well in partnership with other health and social care organisations, which helped to give people using the service a voice and empowered them to live the lives they chose. This was evidenced in the improvements in people's health and well-being and the significant impact it had on families and their ability to trust that their relatives would be supported to live a safe life. One professional said, “It’s nice to have them as our go to for people with complex care needs. You know they will put the right staff in, and they go above and beyond.”

People and relatives spoke highly of the management and staff and described their approach to people's care as "Outstanding". Comments included, “I can't speak highly enough about the service they go above and beyond." and "Their ethos is if they can make it happen in the best interest of the clients, they will make it happen."

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 a clear vision for the direction of the service which demonstrated ambition and a desire for people to achieve the best outcomes possible. Staff were highly complementary of the providers' drive to continuously improve the service for everyone involved.

Managers worked hard to develop a culture that valued reflection, learning and improvement and they were receptive to challenge and welcomed fresh perspectives. The management team were proactive in using information from audits, complaints, incidents and safeguarding alerts to improve the service. The managers worked with staff to understand how things went wrong and involved them in finding solutions.

Staff asked people and their relatives for their opinions on the quality of the service through surveys and regular meetings with the managers. This information was then used to improve service delivery. Staff told us the provider encouraged them to be innovative and empowered them to access additional training and professional development.

The registered manager and the quality assurance lead described how they were continuously looking to improve the quality-of-care people received. In addition to the auditing process, the registered manager and providers quality assurance leads told us they held regular meetings to discuss the findings from their audits to identify any concerns and agree actions.