Firstchoice Consultancy 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

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 the person and their communities.

People were happy with the care and support they received and felt the service was well run.

Staff reported that the registered manager was approachable and easy to talk with if they needed to raise any concerns.

Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the ethos of the service and were confident in their responsibilities. They understood their roles and felt well supported by the management team.

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.

At the time of our assessment, there was a registered manager in post who is also the owner of the business. The registered manager had experience of working with the NHS. The registered manager had the experience, capability and integrity to ensure the organisational vision was delivered, and risks are well managed.

The registered manager told us they had an open-door policy towards staff contacting them. Staff we spoke with were positive about the organisation and the support they received from the registered manager.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

People told us they felt they could raise issues with the provider and that they would be addressed. There were systems in place to support the practice of being able to speak up, including a complaints procedure and whistle blowing policy. Systems were in place for staff to raise concerns internally and externally. Staff knew how to use the whistleblowing policy and understood their role and responsibilities of reporting concerns and knew who to go to if they needed to.

The registered manager held regular discussions with staff and people, giving them opportunities to speak up. The provider conducted surveys which gave people the opportunity to provide feedback on the running of the service.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for the people who worked for them.

Policies and procedures were in place to ensure staff worked in an environment that was free from discrimination. The provider had a policy on equality and diversity to guide practice in this area, and they completed training in diversity and equality. Staff told us they were treated fairly by their employer.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

The provider had some quality assurance and monitoring systems in place. These included care plan audit, daily visit recorded sheet audit, accident and incident audit, spot checks and surveys of the person who used the service. We saw the most recent surveys contained positive feedback about the service.

Process to analyse and monitor the quality of the daily log notes were in place but they were not effective as it did not identify the lack of detail for person’s nutrition intakes. In addition, risk assessment related to the safe use of kitchen for the person was not completed at the time of the assessment.

The manager did not carry out formal supervisions with staff. Although, the register manager confirmed that they regularly spoke with staff about ongoing professional development, but there was no documentation available for us to review.

The registered manager confirmed they would implement the recommendations made by CQC to further strengthen their quality assurance process and to address shortfalls.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for the person. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The registered manager confirmed that they were working closely with various local authorities at various levels. They also work closely with other private organisations to improves their services quality.

As the person using the service had been managing their own appointments, the provider relied on the person to implement changes in their support plan. This means that the provider had been working with the person to support them to manage as much as they can. The person had the full control of their life, and the provider is enabling them to live an independent life with full control.

A regular survey was sent to people to obtain their feedback about the service.

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 the person. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement. For example, the registered manager started working with specialised private organisations to strengthen their quality assurance processes and to move in right direction.

Staff undertook regular training to help them develop in their role. The registered manager told us they want to grow their business while maintaining a higher quality care.

During our assessment, the registered manager was receptive and keen to learn and improve the service. Issues we identified during our assessment were addressed by the provider.