Saint Andrews Limited Also known as Home Instead Oxford

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has changed to Outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 93 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The management team spoke passionately about their vision for the service and demonstrated a clear commitment to continually improving the quality of care provided. The nominated individual told us, “Our vision is to be the best provider on the market so we have to keep improving and delving into how we can improve, be better and be the best. We want to feel that our clients couldn't receive better care elsewhere.” To support this vision, the provider had introduced an initiative to review the quality of care being delivered and assess how closely practice aligned with the organisation's values and aspirations. As part of this work, management identified staff members who consistently went above and beyond in their roles and explored how these attitudes, behaviours and approaches could be embedded across the wider workforce. The provider considered what additional support, resources and training could be offered to help all staff deliver exceptional, person-centred care. One person told us, “I think the care service is very good. They meet our expectation of what we need. The office staff are very friendly and good at their job.”

The provider's vision, values and strategic objectives were regularly discussed during leadership meetings, helping to ensure these remained central to service development and decision-making. Topics such as organisational culture, caring approaches and expected standards ofcare were also discussed within team meetings, supporting staff to understand their role in delivering high-quality care and promoting a positive culture throughout the service. This demonstrated a proactive and reflective approach to continuous improvement, with a focus on achieving the best possible outcomes for people. One staff member told us, “I do think it’s a good place to work, this is the best company to work for. Their values are very important and they stick to them.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the provider’s values and recognised their responsibility to ensure people felt cared for, respected, and valued. Staff were motivated and proud to work for the service. One staff member told us, “I am proud that I am able to be the reason people get up in the morning.” Another staff member told us, “I love that I can make someone’s day better just by sitting and having a chat, helping people get out of bed in the morning when they feel like they don’t have anything to get up for, I like feeling like I’ve made a difference to someone’s life.”

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

People we spoke with were consistently highly complimentary of the management team. One relative told us, “This company is well organised and provide excellent care to [person]. This gives me great peace of mind. I have no complaints and would recommend them.”

There was a clear culture of continuous learning, improvement and delivering person- centred care. The management team had the skills, knowledge and credibility required to lead the service effectively. They demonstrated integrity, openness and honesty in their approach, which helped create a positive culture where staff felt supported and people received high‑quality care. One person told us, “This service is fantastically well organised and managed. They keep a meticulous eye on their staff and carers which is reflected in their attitude and responsibility to provide a high standard of care.”

Staff spoke positively about the management team. Comments included, “I do feel supported. If there’s anything I’m struggling with, I can always ask for help, we have a good management team,” and “They have a lovely management team. I definitely feel able to talk about things.”

This outstanding leadership fostered a culture of openness, trust and respect, where people, families and staff felt valued, supported and empowered. The visible presence of the management team, together with their commitment to delivering person centred care, ensured the service was not only well led but also a warm, inclusive and welcoming place for everyone.

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The provider had established additional wellbeing support for staff, ensuring employees had access to advice, guidance and appropriate support mechanisms when needed.

The provider had recently introduced a Care Professional Council. This initiative brought together staff from across the provider's local services, creating opportunities for frontline staff to share experiences, discuss best practice and contribute ideas for service improvement. The council provided a forum for staff to raise issues, provide feedback to senior leaders and discuss the provider's vision and values. This helped ensure the views and experiences of frontline staff informed decision-making and supported the delivery of high quality, person-centred care across the organisation.

One staff member described how they had raised a concern during a team meeting and suggested a potential solution to improve the way a process was managed. They told us management listened to their feedback, considered their proposal and subsequently implemented a new system based on the idea they had shared. This demonstrated that staff were encouraged to contribute to service development and that leaders valued and acted upon feedback from frontline staff

The provider regularly sought feedback from staff and took proactive steps to improve engagement. For example, they identified response rates to staff surveys were low and responded by organising a social event to encourage staff to attend and complete feedback questionnaires. The response rate increased, and the provider analysed the feedback and took action where concerns had been raised. This demonstrated a willingness to adapt approaches to ensure staff voices were heard.

The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place, and staff understood how to raise concerns. Staff consistently told us they felt confident speaking up and that management listened and responded to issues raised. Comments included, "I feel like I am able to raise concerns and I do often" and "We have team meetings quite regularly. I always find when people have spoken up, they have been listened to, and management have tried to solve any issues that have come up."

This demonstrated a positive culture where staff were encouraged to share their views, contribute to service improvement and raise concerns without fear of negative consequences.

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.

Staff told us they felt valued and respected by the management team, they felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Comments included, “I feel supported, however I feel like this is a very supportive role from my manager and training manager and multiple office staff, and if I feel like I need more support I am quick to make them aware so they can support me,” and “I know that I have the full support of the office when needed and especially my manager.”

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 2010.

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.

The provider had various audits in place to ensure they maintained strong oversight of the service. These included care plan audits, daily notes audits, audits of medicines and a data security audit. There were also a monthly head of people audit and a national office audit regularly completed. Any actions identified through these audits were addressed without delay. Feedback provided to the nominated individual during the inspection was also acted upon quickly, demonstrating their responsiveness and commitment to continuous improvement.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The provider had undertaken extensive work to develop robust and effective partnerships and demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the local community. The care manager told us, “We try and make sure the service is reflective of the community it serves,” and this ethos was embedded throughout the service.

The care manager worked closely with a range of local professionals and community organisations and regularly delivered free educational sessions within the community on topics such as dementia awareness, scam awareness and navigating health and social care systems. This helped people, relatives and members of the public access information and develop a better understanding of issues that may affect them.

The provider was able to evidence extensive positive feedback from a wide range of professionals they had worked alongside. Feedback consistently reflected positive experiences of partnership working, communication and the provider's commitment to sharing knowledgeand best practice. Professionals spoke positively about the quality and timeliness of information shared by the provider, which helped support joined up working and continuity of care. Positive feedback was also received regarding training sessions delivered by the provider, with attendees describing them as informative and beneficial. In addition, professionals provided positive comments about presentations and awareness sessions the provider had delivered to wider teams, highlighting the value of the information shared and the provider's willingness to support the development of others within the health and social care sector.

The provider held a weekly virtual Coffee and Chat session, designed to offer people using the service, their relatives and members of the local community an opportunity to discuss care-related topics and ask questions about care and support services. These sessions provided an informal and accessible forum for people to gain information, seek advice and improve their understanding of the health and social care system.

The provider had also collated information about local activities, community groups, day centres and other services of interest and shared this with people using the service. This helped people remain connected to their local communities and access opportunities that promoted their wellbeing, independence and social inclusion.

The provider worked in partnership with a variety of organisations and networks that supported people using the service and the wider community. There was a strong emphasis on collaborative working and ensuring people could access the most appropriate support for their needs. For example, the provider worked closely with professionals such as solicitors to provide people and their relatives with up-to-date information about topics including Lasting Power of Attorney and how these arrangements could be used effectively to support future decision-making. These partnerships demonstrated the provider's commitment to community engagement, prevention, education and ensuring people had access to the information, services and support they needed to achieve positive outcomes.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

There were several examples of how the provider had placed continuous learning and development at the heart of the service. For example, following feedback about its recruitment processes, the provider reviewed and amended its application form to make it more accessible and inclusive for neurodiverse applicants. This demonstrated a willingness to listen to feedback and make meaningful changes to improve equality and inclusion.

The provider had a number of initiatives in place to drive ongoing improvements. They had recently introduced a 'Write It Right' guide for care notes, which provided staff with clear guidance and expectations on how daily records should be completed. This was developed in response to the provider identifying opportunities to strengthen the quality and consistency of care records. Daily notes reviewed were consistently written in detail, were person centred and contained the appropriate information. This demonstrated the positive impact the ‘Write It Right’ guide had made.

The provider had also implemented a workforce retention plan, which had led to improvements in staff retention in an area that had previously presented challenges. In addition, the provider maintained a continuous improvement action plan covering areas such as training, career progression, staff wellbeing and feedback received from stakeholders. This was a live document that was regularly reviewed and updated, with the aim of continually learning from experiences and improving outcomes for people and staff.

The provider worked closely with a local association of care providers and participated in a local skills improvement programme. This enabled them to contribute to workforce development initiatives and collaborate with other providers to share learning, discuss best practice and identify opportunities for improvement across the health and social care sector.

Feedback from external professionals was positive about the provider's commitment to learning and improvement. One professional told us, "They are an open and engaging organisation and,in my opinion, are well led with high standards. They are open to sharing opportunities for training such as the dementia bus visits to Oxfordshire and are a pleasure to work with."

These examples demonstrated a proactive approach to quality improvement, with leaders actively seeking feedback, embracing innovation and working collaboratively with others to enhance the service provided to people.

The provider went beyond the traditional expectations of a domiciliary care provider, taking a proactive role within the local community. They aimed to act as a hub for information and support, helping people and families access guidance and resources beyond their immediate care needs. This innovative approach demonstrated a commitment to improving wider outcomes and supporting community wellbeing.

The provider consistently demonstrated a proactive, learning-focused approach that supported high-quality, safe and continually improving care.