CSL Alford

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 68 (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 clear and shared vision, strategy and culture. This was built on important values like being open and honest (transparency), treating everyone fairly (equity and equality), respecting human rights, and making sure diversity and inclusion were part of everyday work. Staff and leaders worked together to understand the needs of people and their communities. They listened, showed compassion, and created a culture of trust and learning. Everyone knew how their role helped to meet the provider’s goals. Staff understood the importance of equality, diversity and human rights, and they focused on giving safe, high-quality, and caring support. Progress was checked regularly to make sure the strategy stayed on track.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels. They understood the environment in which they gave care, treatment and support. Leaders showed the values and culture of their teams and the organisation. They had the right skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead well. Leaders acted with honesty, openness and integrity. They were visible and led by example, showing inclusive practice.

The provider told us they had a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and share their views. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and make suggestions to improve care. At first, staff felt their voices were heard. However, over time, staff said they no longer felt listened to. This made them feel discouraged and less confident about speaking up. Some staff stopped sharing ideas or concerns because they felt nothing would change. This meant the culture of openness and improvement was not fully working in practice.

Although the provider aimed to support staff and promote transparency, the lack of follow-through affected staff trust. Staff did not feel empowered, and this had a negative impact on their willingness to raise issues or help improve care.

The provider showed they valued diversity in their workforce. They worked hard to build a fair and inclusive culture. Leaders worked to remove bias from policies and practices so that all staff had equal chances and fair treatment. They reviewed rules and systems to make sure they were not unfair to anyone. They also acted to stop bullying and harassment, especially for staff with protected characteristics or those who might be excluded or treated unfairly.

Staff were supported with reasonable adjustments so they could do their jobs well. Leaders also tried to make sure their teams reflected the people who used their services.

The provider had clear roles and responsibilities for staff. Everyone knew what they were expected to do, and managers were able to explain and take responsibility for staff actions and performance. There were systems in place to make sure care was well managed and safe. These systems helped the provider deliver good quality care, treatment and support that could continue over time.

The provider used good governance and accountability to guide their work. They looked at the best available information to understand risks and how well the service was performing. They used this information to make decisions and improve the service. When required, they shared information securely with other organisations.

The provider understood their responsibility to work together with others and so services worked well and smoothly for people. They shared information and learning with other organisations and worked together to make improvements.

Professionals we spoke with were positive about the service. They said that although there were some areas that needed to improve, the provider already knew about these and had clear plans to make things better. This showed that the provider was open and worked in partnership with other agencies to learn and improve care for people.

The provider showed a focus on continuous learning and improvement across the organisation and the wider systems. They encouraged staff to make sure people had safe, equal experiences, outcomes, and quality of life.

However, some staff were not aware of important learning that had taken place in training modules and there was no evidence of reflective practice to understand why events went well or when they went wrong to learn from them. Staff did not always feel confident or supported to share new ideas or suggest improvements. This meant that opportunities for innovation could sometimes be missed.