Balby Care and Home Services Ltd

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 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 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 service had policies in place around workforce equality and diversity. Staff told us, they felt listened to within the service and the opinions and views of staff were considered and valued by leaders. The services ‘mission statement’ was accessible in the office and included information about the services visions and values.

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. Staff told us, they felt supported by leaders, one staff member commented, “Balby Care is one of the best care company’s I have worked for. The management and senior team are great and are always happy to help. Any information, help or concerns I have had have always been taken very seriously and I always feel heard and seen at this company.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff had knowledge on whistleblowing procedures and policy. One staff member told us, “I would not hesitate to act in line with the whistleblowing policy, I would feel confident using this and know managers would listen and act on my concerns."

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. Processes were in place which helped to protect the rights of staff under the Equality Act. This helped to create a more equitable and inclusive organisation. There was also evidence of reasonable adjustments and amended work patterns, for staff who required them.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes. We identified that systems and processes required improvement to ensure leaders had clear oversight of the quality and safety of the service. During the inspection, we found care plans and risk assessments lacked detail, which placed people at risk of harm. We also found that some people at the service were receiving shorter care calls than they were assessed to receive. One person told us, “The [staff] should stay for thirty minutes, but [staff] only stay 5-10 minutes.” This information was feedback to the management team, who assured inspectors about their plans to strengthen audit systems at the service and were in the process of amending peoples care plans and reviewing care call times.

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 service had established good links in the local community and had worked in partnership with key organisations.

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. Lessons were continuously learnt where incidents had occurred. Staff had opportunities to give feedback and contribute to the overall development of the service.