Mend 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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been ratedgood.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 provider had identified a philosophy and overall aims for the service. This was shared with staff. The registered manager was also a registered mental health nurse and shared their knowledge and experience with the team. This approach had embedded with staff, and they shared the same values and aspirations for people and the growth of the service.

Relatives and professionals spoke positively about the caring values and described a culture where people were treated with kindness, respect and compassion. A professional told us, “Mend Care also have an approach within their ethos of ensuring that the person is at the heart of their support: being led by their wishes and goals for their future rather than imposing views of what might be best for them.”

Staff enjoyed and were proud of working for this service. Staff told us that they would recommend the service, both to people requiring support and as a place to work. One member of staff said, “Mend Care is very caring and compassionate at its core. When working with [vulnerable people], it is imperative to be empathetic, hence why I would recommend the [service].”

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 had appropriate qualifications and skills for their role. Staff told us they were well supported in their role by the registered manager and senior staff. A staff member told us, “The Management are always a phone call away and are very supportive to both [people] and staff.”

Most people using the service told us it was well run and organised, with leaders who listened and responded appropriately.

Leaders set clear and reasonable expectations of staff and communicated these in team meetings and supervision with staff. The provider had developed several policies and procedures to provide guidance for staff which were regularly reviewed to ensure they were up to date. Where issues occurred, learning was shared openly and without blame to support improvement and reduce the risk of recurrence.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider supported people; relatives and staff to share any concerns. A relative said”.

The provider had whistleblowing and complaints policies which was shared with staff. Staff felt confident and had opportunities to raise any concerns with the registered manager and senior staff, one said “Staff is also encouraged to approach management with any concerns and most of the times a compromise satisfactory to both parties is reached. Even when a compromise cannot be found, a fair explanation and reason is given so that we can have closure.”

Staff confirmed that they had regular team meetings, in which anyone could raise a concern or idea, we were told, “We have monthly staff meetings were everyone gets an opportunity to speak.”

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. Equality and human rights responsibilities were reflected within relevant policies, and staff attended training on equality, diversity and human rights. Staff told us that they felt valued, and that the culture was inclusive of all staff. One member of staff said, “Staff welfare is very important to the company. I have been asked for my opinion in regular supervision meetings, and we are encouraged to take care of ourselves, this shows how much staff are supported and valued.”

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.

Governance and quality monitoring systems were in place, including regular meetings, a programme of audits and improvement plans to support learning and improvement. A documentation quality review had found that people’s daily notes were often vague, passive and subjective. The management team introduced a six-month development plan with staff to improve the quality and content of notes, with training sessions and a clear outline of what needed to be included. At the end of the time period, their analysis found that notes included the person’s voice, risk observations and were clinically sound. Following this exercise, the management team reviewed the process and fed back to staff the lessons which they had learnt and identified.

Business continuity plans and individual emergency plans were in place and staff had easy access to them. Leaders kept up to date with statutory guidance, including requirements to notify the Care Quality Commission.

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.

Staff and managers worked closely with a range of community-based services, including GPs, local authorities and community nursing, to help ensure people’s needs were met. Staff made referrals to professionals when they identified that people needed support to reduce risk to their health or independence, for example to the falls team or district nurses. Feedback from partners and local authority partners was positive.

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. People, staff and relatives were regularly asked for feedback. Together with spot checks, this information was used to identify possible improvements.

There was clear evidence that audit findings and feedback from people and others were routinely reviewed and used to drive improvement. This approach was consistently applied and shared across the whole staff team; learning was embedded within day-to-day practice and used to improve outcomes for people.