Birch Social Limited

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 newly registered 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 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 management team shared a strong value base and was committed to ensuring each person received a good standard of support. Staff demonstrated these values throughout their work, which was monitored during spot checks and training. Staff told us, “The culture within the service is supportive and caring. Staff are encouraged to promote and respect people’s individuality and rights.”

There was a strong culture of promoting people’s rights, and ensuring the person was at the centre of their support. This was regularly discussed during staff meetings and supervision sessions. Staff confirmed there was an open, supportive culture and said they enjoyed working for the provider. Staff comments about the management team included, “[The management team] are helpful and I can talk about any concerns or ask questions. They provide guidance, monitoring and feedback. We have frequent opportunities to raise any concerns”.

There was an inclusive and positive culture of continuous learning and improvement. This was based on meeting people’s needs. Staff at all levels understood the shared vision of being transparent and proactive, supporting people to achieve their goals and keep them safe from avoidable harm.

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.

We received positive feedback from relatives and staff about the leadership of the service.People were supported by staff and a provider where the leadership was inclusive and delivered with integrity. The registered manager and provider were consistent in their leadership which instilled confidence and compassion in the staff team. Staff told us, “Teamwork and communication work well and management are engaging and very supportive”.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour and the requirement to submit notifications to CQC.

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

There was a clear culture based on openness and transparency. People told us they felt able to speak up to the service if needed.

Staff knew how to raise concerns, including how to whistle blow if needed and how to access support. Whistleblowing is the act of reporting wrongdoing, misconduct, or illegal activities within an organisation.

There were clear procedures for regular contact with staff and the management team.

Relatives told us they would have no hesitation in raising a concern if needed. They said they would tell a member of staff or ring the office to speak to a member of the team. People were confident they would be listened to, and their concern would be satisfactorily resolved.

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 provider encouraged an open-door policy, allowing staff to raise concerns or suggestions comfortably. Staff told us they felt valued and respected by both the provider and the registered manager, they felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment.

The provider had a policy in place to ensure staff were treated fairly and had equal opportunities to learn and develop their roles within the organisation. There were fair recruitment processes in place, which helped to protect the rights of staff under the Equality Act.

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.

There were a range of audits within the service to check the safety and quality of care provision. Audits were completed on a regular basis to identify any themes and trends. There was evidence of a positive culture and commitment to improvement, and any issues were resolved promptly. The provider had systems in place to monitor incidents and safeguarding concerns with no significant concerns identified in these areas.

Policies and procedures underpinned working practices, and this was supported by training and ongoing monitoring. The provider told us the staff team worked hard and were committed to their role.

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 the provider understood the importance of working collaboratively with external professionals to ensure continuity of care for people. The provider had built positive working relationships with partners, to network, share experiences and ideas about ways to develop and improve care provision.

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 provider operated checks and audits in relation to all areas of the service. This ensured shortfalls were identified and the provider could act to drive improvement. Any lessons learned were shared wider within the staff group, to promote an open culture and continuous development. Staff told us, “Accidents and incidents are shared with us and discussed so improvements can be made.” And “I feel the company is constantly trying to improve as they always call the clients and visit to find out if they are happy about the service”.

The provider had a clear direction for the future development of Birch Social Limited.