Gentle Folk Community Care

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 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 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 culture within the service demonstrated that the provider’s aims and objectives were delivered by all staff members. For example, staff told us the culture within the service was one of kindness and transparency and this was confirmed by the feedback provided by the people who used the service, their relatives and health professionals.

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. People and staff spoke highly of the management team at Gentle Folk Community Care. They told us they were supportive, caring and demonstrated positive values. A staff member said, “The management team lead with professionalism, openness and a clear commitment to continuous improvement. Gentle Folk Community Care is a supportive workplace that provides both staff and the people who use it with the right environment to thrive.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Both the people who used the service, and staff, told us the culture of the service meant they would have no hesitation in raising concerns and/or speaking up. They told us they would be listened to with respect and that their concerns would be addressed. One staff member said, “I feel comfortable raising issues knowing both myself and the people who use the service will be supported.”

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 employed a diverse workplace and staff told us they were treated fairly, kindly and equitably. Staff told us they worked well as a team and felt supported by their colleagues. One staff member said, “I like my job at Gentle Folk. I’m grateful to be part of a service that appreciates its employees and the individuals we look after, and it feels like a family.”

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. However, the provider had not fully met their regulatory responsibilities although they acted promptly to address this as part of the inspection. For example, whist the provider’s website displayed their current CQC rating, there was no link to take a reader through to the full report. We also found that whilst robust action had been taken to protect people from the risk of abuse, not all incidents had been reported to CQC as required; the provider completed these retrospectively before the inspection was concluded.

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 professionals we spoke with as part of this inspection confirmed this and the records we viewed demonstrated that. We saw examples of where the provider had sought advice from professionals for the benefit and/or safety of the people who used the service and that their recommendations had been followed. In addition, the provider had an accessible office that welcomed people and provided facilities to support partnership working.

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. People, and staff, told us the provider had a focus on continuous learning and improvement and that the culture supported this. One staff member said. “The service has a supportive and transparent culture and is always looking for ways to improve.” The records we viewed confirmed this. For example, quality monitoring audits and questionnaires were analysed with action plans completed as a result. Actions plans had also been completed and used to drive improvement in response to other stakeholder feedback.