Pathways to Independance

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 remained 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 the needs of people and their communities.

The provider’s Statement of Purpose, care planning arrangements and examples of people’s outcomes reflected the principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were supported to pursue goals that mattered to them, maintain relationships and take part in community life.

Staff feedback was positive and described a supportive, values-led culture. Governance records showed leaders understood the needs of people using the service and gathered feedback from staff, people and relatives to help develop the service.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which care and support was delivered and led with openness and integrity.

Leadership arrangements were clear, and senior leaders supported the registered manager. Staff described managers as approachable, visible and supportive. Supervision, appraisal, competency assessments and wellbeing discussions showed ongoing leadership oversight and staff support.

Governance records showed leaders monitored quality, incidents, safeguarding concerns and workforce issues and acted when improvements were needed. Staff feedback indicated confidence in the leadership team and reflected a positive management culture.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt able to speak up and have their voices heard.

Staff feedback was positive and showed staff understood how to raise concerns and felt confident these would be acted on. Whistleblowing and safeguarding arrangements were supported by current policies and procedures. Workforce survey results showed most staff felt able to report concerns and be listened to.

The provider gathered feedback from staff, people and relatives and used this alongside governance processes to identify learning and improvements.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for staff.

Equality and diversity policies covered protected characteristics, inclusion and accessible communication. Staff were supported through structured induction, supervision, wellbeing discussions and opportunities to provide feedback.

Survey responses were positive and showed staff felt supported and treated fairly. Leaders reviewed workforce feedback and developed actions around communication, training and staff wellbeing.

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.

Governance processes included branch reviews, management meetings, governance board meetings, audits and action plans. Leaders monitored quality, incidents, safeguarding concerns, workforce matters and medicines management. They used this information to identify risks and areas for improvement.

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.

Staff worked effectively with healthcare professionals, social workers, advocates, relatives and other partners. Care records and examples of people’s outcomes showed joined-up working to support healthcare needs, decision-making and positive outcomes. Partner feedback was consistently positive and described effective communication, responsive leadership and a good understanding of the needs of autistic people and people with a learning disability.

Staff supported people to access community opportunities, volunteering, meaningful relationships and healthcare services, which promoted independence and inclusion. A healthcare professional told us, “The staff at Pathways are absolutely great and support people well.”

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged ways of improving equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people and contributed to safe, effective practice.

Leaders reviewed incidents, safeguarding concerns, audits and feedback to identify learning and improvements. They used quality assurance processes, workforce feedback and governance reviews to plan improvements.

The provider already had learning disability and autism-specific training in place and had identified opportunities to develop this further through more personalised and service-specific learning. This demonstrated a commitment to continually improving staff knowledge and the quality of support provided to autistic people and people with a learning disability.