Bridgecare Solutions Ltd 2

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 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 71 (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 promoted a clear vision, positive culture and set of values based on transparency, equality, diversity, inclusion, human rights and meaningful engagement with people who used the service. Leaders understood the challenges people faced and sought to deliver care that reflected the needs of individuals and their local communities.

Staff understood the aims and values of the organisation and described how these influenced their day-to-day practice. The registered manager embedded the provider's values throughout staff induction, training, supervision and team meetings to ensure staff consistently delivered care in line with the provider's expectations.

The registered manager told us, “We make sure all staff understand our commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights from when they have their induction. This is also followed up by training, which is mandatory, supervision and team meetings. They are also given the policy to read and refer to if needed. We also lead by example as leaders by creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and able to speak.”

Leaders reinforced the provider's values through regular communication, monitoring and support. This helped create a culture where staff felt able to raise concerns, contribute ideas and deliver care that respected people's rights, promoted inclusion and supported positive outcomes.

The provider demonstrated inclusive leadership and promoted a culture that reflected the values of the organisation and workforce. Leaders understood the needs of the people using the service and the challenges associated with delivering care in the community. They led the service with openness, honesty and integrity and worked to create a positive and supportive environment for staff and people receiving care.

Staff spoke mostly positively about the support they received from managers and told us leaders were approachable and available when needed. One staff member said, “I feel supported through supervision, and these provide an opportunity to discuss my work, raise any concerns, and receive feedback. Supervisions are carried out regularly, and I have had an annual appraisal.”

During the inspection, the registered manager was recruiting a deputy manager to strengthen the leadership team and provide additional management support to staff. This demonstrated the provider's commitment to maintaining effective oversight of the service and ensuring staff had access to timely guidance and support. The registered manager told us, “Our aim is that new staff feel safe, respected, included and confident, while understanding that they are an important part of the team and that they can approach management for support at any time.”

Staff feedback and our observations indicated leaders had the skills, knowledge and experience to manage the service effectively and promote a culture focused on continuous improvement, high-quality care and positive outcomes for people.

The provider promoted a positive and open culture where people, relatives and staff felt able to speak up and share their views. Leaders encouraged feedback and sought to ensure people felt listened to and valued.

The registered manager actively sought feedback from people and their relatives through surveys, reviews and ongoing discussions. They used this feedback to monitor the quality of the service and identify opportunities for improvement. The registered manager also encouraged open communication across the service and provided staff with regular opportunities to share their views through office visits, team meetings, supervision sessions and training events.

Staff told us they felt confident raising concerns on behalf of people and understood their responsibility to speak up when they identified issues affecting people's care, safety or wellbeing. Staff described managers as approachable and responsive to concerns.

The provider maintained policies and procedures to support openness, transparency and learning. This included a Duty of Candour policy, which guided staff and managers to act openly and honestly when things went wrong and to communicate appropriately with people and their representatives.

These arrangements helped create a culture in which people and staff could raise concerns, share feedback and contribute to the ongoing development of the service.

The provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion across its workforce and worked to create a fair and supportive culture for staff. Leaders recognised the value of a diverse workforce and took steps to ensure staff received equitable support and opportunities.

The provider implemented policies and procedures to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and ensure staff felt respected, valued and supported in their roles. The registered manager demonstrated an understanding of the importance of making reasonable adjustments for staff and responding to individual circumstances.

The registered manager told us, “We recognise that every member of staff has different needs and circumstances. If a staff member tells us they are struggling or may need an adjustment, we discuss this with them privately and look at what reasonable support can be provided. This may include changes to shifts, additional breaks, adjustments to duties, equipment, additional training or a phased return to work. Where appropriate, we seek professional advice and complete an individual risk assessment. We regularly review the adjustment with the staff member to make sure it remains effective. Our aim is to support staff to remain safe, well and able to provide high-quality, person-centred care.”

Leaders worked with staff to identify and remove barriers that could affect their wellbeing, performance or ability to carry out their roles. They reviewed support arrangements regularly and adjusted them where necessary to ensure staff remained safe, healthy and able to deliver effective care.

These arrangements helped foster an inclusive workplace culture where staff felt supported, respected and able to contribute to the delivery of high-quality care.

The provider did not always operate effective governance systems to ensure clear oversight, accountability and regulatory compliance. They did not consistently identify, assess and act on information relating to risk, performance and outcomes to drive improvement and maintain safe care.

The provider's quality assurance systems had not identified all the concerns found during this inspection. These included shortfalls in medicines management, risk assessment documentation and the timely submission of statutory notifications. This demonstrated existing governance and oversight arrangements had not always been effective in identifying and addressing areas of concern.

During the assessment process, the provider responded positively to feedback and took action to strengthen governance arrangements. They enhanced their audit processes and reviewed and updated people's records to ensure they contained relevant and accurate information to support the safe delivery of care.

The provider had established a range of governance processes, including audits of care plans, medicines management and other key areas of service delivery. These systems identified some opportunities for improvement and supported ongoing monitoring of the service. Managers carried out regular reviews of daily care records, staff training, personnel files, accidents and incidents, care calls and care plans.

Leaders and managers provided staff with guidance and support and staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The registered manager demonstrated a commitment to learning and improvement and had already begun implementing actions to strengthen governance, oversight and record keeping in line with regulatory requirements and best practice.

Although the provider had governance systems in place, they did not always operate effectively. The provider recognised these shortcomings and took steps to improve oversight and quality assurance processes to help ensure people received safe, high-quality care.

The provider understood its responsibility to work collaboratively with partner organisations to deliver coordinated and seamless care. Leaders and staff shared information appropriately, worked closely with other professionals and contributed to learning and improvement across services.

Staff and managers worked effectively with health and social care professionals to ensure people received care that met their needs. They communicated with relevant professionals when people's health or support needs changed and made referrals to services such as occupational therapy, community nursing and GP services when required. This helped ensure people received timely support and access to specialist advice.

The provider maintained positive working relationships with external agencies and professionals to support joined-up care and continuity of support. Staff used information and guidance from partner organisations to inform care planning and help achieve positive outcomes for people.

Leaders also engaged with external forums, professional networks, training events and workshops to support learning and drive improvement. The provider told us they shared learning with others, sought feedback from external partners and kept up to date with current guidance and best practice to continuously develop the service.

These arrangements helped ensure people experienced coordinated care and support and demonstrated the provider's commitment to partnership working, shared learning and continuous improvement.

The provider promoted a culture of continuous learning, improvement and innovation across the service. Leaders used feedback, learning and quality assurance processes to improve outcomes for people and support the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care. They encouraged staff, people and their representatives to contribute ideas and identify opportunities for improvement.

The provider used information from incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, audits and feedback to identify areas for development and improve service quality. Leaders reviewed concerns thoroughly, explored the underlying causes and implemented actions to reduce the risk of issues recurring. They monitored the effectiveness of these actions to ensure improvements were sustained and resulted in better outcomes for people.

The registered manager told us, “We promote a learning culture where incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, audits and feedback are used to identify areas for improvement. We don't just record what happened; we look at the root cause, agree an action plan, provide training or make changes to our processes, and then monitor whether the changes have been effective. We also encourage staff and people who use our service to suggest improvements. This helps us provide safe, effective and person-centred care and demonstrates that we continuously learn and improve.”

Leaders encouraged staff to reflect on practice, share learning and suggest new ways of working to improve people's experiences and outcomes. These arrangements supported a culture of learning, accountability and continuous improvement and helped drive the ongoing development of the service.