Companions in 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 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 understandingchallenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The provider had a clear vision, to enable people to achieve goals and live the life they wanted to live.

The culture within the service was person centred and open and staff felt there was a culture of collaboration, as did people and their relatives. Staff told us they felt valued and supported to provide the best care to people. Additionally, they also told us they understood the provider’s expectations around delivering compassionate and responsive care. A member of staff said, “They are good to work for and provide good care to people.”

People told us they felt listened to and included in the direction of their individual care. People and their relatives spoke positively about the care provided and the approach taken by staff.

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.

Recruitment of a registered manager was in progress at the time of the inspection, with the previous manager leaving their role earlier in 2026; the nominated individual was overseeing the day to day running of the service.

Relatives and staff said there was good leadership at the service. One relative said, “You can tell they are organised and we’ve never had any problems.” A member of staff said, “I feel able to report any concerns I have and I feel supported.”

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

The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture which sought the views of people, relatives and staff. There was dialogue with people , capturing their views and listening to their experiences; this helped to continuously improve the service they received. Reviews of people’s care were also completed.

People and relatives told us they could raise issues with the provider and they would be addressed. Team meetings took place with staff and people, giving them opportunities to speak up.

There were systems to support the practice of being able to speak up, including a complaints procedure and whistleblowing policy. Staff confirmed they knew about the whistleblowing and would feel comfortable speaking up.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fairculture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff were from different ethnic background and told us they felt they were treated fairly, including by the provider, and worked well with the wider team.

Staff completed training in equality and diversity and understood what it meant. Staff were kept up to date with issues affecting the overall service via team meetings and on-going conversations.

Recruitment and disciplinary processes were clear and ensured there was no disadvantage based on staff's specific protected equality characteristics. The provider had processes to ensure an inclusive workplace where staff were treated and supported as individuals.

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 effective governance, management, sustainability, and accountability arrangements to monitor the quality and safety of the service.

There was regular oversight of the service through spot checks, supervisions, audits, and ongoing communication with people and their relatives. There was an out of hours procedure and members of the management team were available on call 24 hours a day.

Audits were completed to monitor the service which covered care plans, medication and staff files. This enabled any trends to be identified to ensure the service was meeting the requirements and needs of people being supported. Actions were set if any gaps were identified.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services workedseamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated forimprovement.

The provider had connections with organisations such as social workers to develop and review care plans, ensuring people received coordinated and appropriate support. The provider also maintained effective communication with pharmacists to address medication queries and promote safe administration practices.

In addition, the provider was in regular contact with the Integrated Care Board and had taken on NHS packages, demonstrating effective partnership working within the wider health and social care system.

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 undertook audits of care plans, medication records, and carers’ daily notes to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance. Incidents, accidents, and safeguarding concerns were appropriately identified, recorded, and reflected upon to support learning and continuous improvement, although there hadn’t been many at the time of the inspection.

The provider also utilised feedback from people, their families, and staff to inform service development. In addition, spot checks were conducted to monitor the quality of care delivery and ensure standards were consistently maintained.