County Medicare Professional Nursing & Care Services 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 the service under this registration. 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 and nominated individual had a clear vision and set of values aimed at providing compassionate care and plans for developing the service. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. Their mission statement said, “County Medicare strive to be responsive to each individual’s needs, while respecting their independence, dignity, privacy and choice.” This was reflected in feedback from the management team, staff, people and their relatives. There was a positive culture throughout the whole staff team. Staff were involved in the development of the service. They told us they were able to bring ideas and suggestions and know they would be listened to and were able to affect changes.

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 registered manager and nominated individual were fully involved in the day to day running of the service. They had worked at the service for many years before taking over as provider. They were supported by a team who had a clear understanding of their own roles and responsibilities and how these roles worked together. They provided effective support to the registered manager in managing the quality and safety of the service. They were committed to improving and developing the service for the benefit of people and staff.

People spoke highly about the service. One person said, “I would definitely recommend them, which has to be a high accolade.”

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

Staff understood the whistle-blowing policy and told us how they would report any concerns. They also told us how they would raise concerns outside the organisation if they were concerned appropriate action was not being taken.

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 management team knew each staff member well and understood their individual circumstances. They made reasonable adjustments to accommodate staff needs. Staff told us they felt valued and were part of a good team that involved and supported each other. One staff member said, “I know what I’ll be doing, I know there’s someone at the end of the phone (who will come out if needed). That is what makes all the difference.”

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 registered manager and nominated individual understood and demonstrated compliance with regulatory requirements. They also understood their responsibility to provide honest information, suitable support and to apply duty of candour where appropriate.

Systems were in place to check and audit the quality and safety of care and support provided to people. These were analysed and findings were used to make any changes required and support staff development and knowledge.

Contingency plans were in place, these included who to contact in an emergency, contact phone numbers and procedures to follow. Records were well completed throughout.

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 registered manager and staff team had developed positive working relationships with services who supported people. The registered manager also worked with external professionals to identify further training that may be beneficial for staff to support people. Staff told us how they would contact relevant external professionals and other organisations to help them meet people’s needs. Feedback from external professionals was consistently positive about the working relationships.

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 and nominated individual had developed an action plan when they took over the running on County Medicare. This identified areas which needed to be developed and included timeframes for implementation. This included the need to implement regular spot checks on staff and provide feedback. This had already been implemented and was ongoing. There was a system to investigate and analyse accidents, incidents, complaints and feedback and act on them.

There was a program of ongoing development for staff to ensure they had the knowledge and skills needed to continually develop the service. The registered manager had introduced more frequent staff meetings. These would be focussed on exploring a different policy at each meeting. Staff had access to all policies online, however, the registered manager recognised the importance of staff fully understanding and having the opportunity for discussion.