Akash Training Agency Ltd

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 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.

The registered manager led by example and supported staff by sharing their experience and knowledge. The registered manager said their goal was to grow the service slowly while keeping its quality and personal approach. They were proud of the teamwork and positive feedback from clients.

A person’s relative told us, “They do send the occasional form like a questionnaire by e-mail which I answer and send back, and I've always given very positively back as there is absolutely nothing that I could complain about. We are extremely happy with this agency, and we do have experience with others none of whom compare. [The registered manger], [staff] and all the team are very kind and very good at that job.”

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 service was well organised, and people told us it was reliable and well run. Leaders were accessible, supportive, and committed to delivering high-quality care. Staff spoke very positively about management of the service and the registered manager.

A person’s relative told us, “We are both so pleased with them. It's like friends coming in and they do what you want them to do. They really care and too many of the agencies it's just a job. [Registered manager] one is absolutely exceptional, and I've also spoken to [staff] on the phone although I haven't met them yet, but they seem to be just the same as [Registered manager].”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistle-blowing policy in place and regular supervision meetings took place. People had a variety of opportunities to speak up and make their views known. Staff were confident they could speak up if they needed to and felt they could always rely on the management team to listen and respond. Information about how to speak up, including safeguarding contacts were available to people and staff. Management was open, transparent and responsive throughout the assessment process.

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’s recruitment policies and procedures helped ensure staff experienced equitable treatment. Staff had received training in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and told us they felt respected and valued at work. Staff were valued and treated equally and fairly. They said the registered manager was supportive and reported feeling respected, valued, and listened to.

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.

Regular audits covered such areas as medication and care planning. Incidents were logged and analysed, and lessons learned were shared with staff and training compliance was monitored. The registered manager understood their role in relation to duty of candour, which is the need to be open and honest when things go wrong. The registered manager had reported all notifiable incidents to the CQC as required.

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.

Processes were in place to ensure appropriate referrals were made to community partners and agencies, which supported joined-up working. The service worked closely with specialist teams and professionals, including district nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and health professionals. This ensured people received timely and coordinated care tailored to their needs. Partnership working was embedded in practice, promoting continuity of care and improving outcomes for people.

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 registered manager encouraged an open culture of learning and continuous improvement, driving good-quality, safe, person-centred care.The provider and staff had strong external relationships with healthcare professionals which helped ensure the home care service continued to keep up with new developments and approaches to care for individuals. Staff received training to help support the delivery of safe, and effective care. They shadowed experienced staff until assessed as competent. Feedback was gathered from people, relatives, and staff through meetings, phone calls, surveys, and quality checks. Policies and procedures reflected best practice and were accessible to all staff.