Blossom Home Care Grimsby

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 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 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 shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The provider’s ethos and values were shared with people and staff in their brochure and handbooks. Values and expectations were also reiterated to staff in team meetings. Staff understood the values of the organisation and told us there was good teamwork and a positive, person-centred culture. One commented, “We’re all there to support and respect each other” and another told us, “I'm proud to be part of a company that puts people first.”

The management team had a compassionate, listening approach that encouraged open dialogue and collaboration. This created a shared sense of direction and helped foster a positive culture.

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.

There was a robust management structure, which included an overall registered manager, a care manager and office management staff. There were also senior carers who helped oversee and monitor practice. People and relatives felt the service was well-managed and said the management team was approachable.

Staff spoke highly of the registered manager and the support they received from the management team. Their comments included, “[Registered manager] runs a good company; it’s a tight ship” and, “[Registered manager] and [care manager] are both brilliant.” Another commended the caring and supportive nature of the management team and said, “The warmth when you come in - you can see it.”

Managers were aware of regulatory requirements and kept up to date with best practice via updates from the franchise company, Skills for Care and local authority webinars.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff were encouraged to share any issues in team meetings and supervisions. The provider had a whistleblowing policy and staff were aware how to report any concerns. They confirmed they would feel comfortable raising anything and said they were confident any issues they raised would be quickly acted on.

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 had relevant recruitment and equality and diversity policies to promote a fair and inclusive workforce. Managers focused on staff wellbeing and worked to ensure there was equity of opportunity and experience for the workforce. No concerns were raised with us in relation to any discriminatory practice.

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 completed regular audits and checks to monitor the quality of care delivered. This included audits, spot checks and care reviews. These were usually used effectively to identify and address any issues. The registered manager agreed to enhance scrutiny of medicines audits following an error identified in one audit. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The provider had contingency plans in place and an on-call system to support staff in the event of emergencies. Relevant information was submitted to CQC as required.

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 provider was highly skilled at working with a range of other professionals and services to ensure people’s health and wellbeing needs were met. We received consistently positive feedback from external professionals about partnership working with the service. One told us staff worked collaboratively with them and said, “The occasions we have worked alongside them have always been marked by a sense of teamwork and mutual support.”

The provider had been nominated for, and won, several awards. This included nominations in the ‘national stars of social care awards’, in categories such as start-up home care employer, home care co-ordinator, registered manager and dementia care employer awards.

The provider arranged activities and events for people in the community, including a valentines bingo event and coffee mornings. Twice a year they held a coffee morning in aid of a cancer charity. They also supported a local children’s charity and donated easter eggs. In return the children had painted pictures for people using the service, which the registered manager told us people had really enjoyed. The provider had recently unveiled a memorial bench at a local community centre, dedicated to people they had previously supported. People’s families, a local MP and staff had been invited to attend. The unveiling was also an opportunity to bring people together as part of the annual Dementia UK ‘Time for a Cuppa’ national initiative.

Where it was part of people’s care package, staff also supported people to access a range of community facilities and services of their choice. This all helped promote people’s social connections and community engagement.

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.

The management team encouraged ideas and suggestions in team meetings. They used incidents and audits to identify any learning opportunities. They shared any lessons learned with the team to drive improvement. The registered manager was responsive to feedback during the assessment process. They also told us how much they had learned and improved their systems since opening the service and provided examples of this.