Archived: Welcome Care and Support

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 inspection for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant the service management and leadership were consistent. Leaders and the culture they created supported the delivery of 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. Equality and diversity within the service was promoted. New staff received support and training which helped them to show those values in their daily work with people. A staff member told us, “I enjoy working for the agency.” Another staff member commented, “I love working for the organisation and helping to keep people in their own homes.”

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 manager demonstrated they had the skills and knowledge to manage the service effectively. Relatives and staff said the manager was approachable. Their comments included, “I am very satisfied with Akwaaba Care Services. They have been reliable, flexible, and genuinely caring” and “The manager is fair and very approachable.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Processes were in place for staff and people to speak up. The provider had a clear whistle blowing policy. Staff could raise concerns and the information about how to do this was available in the staff handbook. Staff meetings took place. Staff told us they felt valued and supported by the management team. They were encouraged to voice their opinions, ideas and suggestions.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. Staff had received equality and diversity training. Staff told us they were treated equally and did not experience any discrimination. They told us they felt valued and respected in their roles. They said they felt supported by the management, some said they were well-supported personally when needed.

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 act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate. There was oversight from the provider to review the quality and safety of the service in line with regulatory requirements, with regular quality checks carried out.

Staff at the service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. Staff worked alongside other professionals to ensure appropriate support was provided. A professional commented, “Akwaaba Care and support staff have been approachable and helpful when I have visited.” The manager was positive about their links with local partners and health and social care teams. They attended local provider forums to share good practice.

Theproviderfocused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience,outcomeand quality of life for people.Staff and leaders had a good understanding of how to make improvement happen. Leaders encouraged staff to speak up with ideas for improvement. Processes to ensure that learning happens when things go wrong, and from examples of good practice were well-established.