Consensus Community Support - Croydon

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 service since their registration in August 2024. 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 understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

Staff were supported to deliver care and support to people in line with the provider’s values for the service. A staff member told us, “Whenever I have any challenge, (managers) are always there to support.”

Managers used supervision and team meetings to support staff’s understanding of how the values should be reflected in their working practices. Staff were recognised and rewarded when they demonstrated these values in their work. The registered manager said, “When I visit and I see staff demonstrating our values we can award them a money voucher to acknowledge this.”

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.

A new service manager had been appointed and was in the process of submitting their registered manager application to the CQC. To ensure continuity of oversight and leadership at the service, the new manager was being supported by the current registered manager (who also held the role of area director) and an interim service manager. The registered manager told us, “The previous manager left, and we were quick to bring in an experienced (interim) manager to support the service. Now [service manager] is in post, there is a robust handover between [interim service manager] and [service manager]. We have made it clear that we will step away only when everyone is happy that the handover has been successful.”

These management changes had a positive impact on the service. Staff told us the new managers led by example. A staff member said, “Whenever I have any challenge, they are always there to support. When you see them working, you feel motivated. They work on the floor to show us how to do things.” A healthcare professional told us, “Since [interim service manager] and [service manager] have been in post, I have seen a real difference in management.”

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

People were actively encouraged to share their experiences of the service in a variety of ways, including, one-to-one meetings with their key worker, posting in the comments and suggestions box and quality questionnaires.

Staff were encouraged to raise concerns. A staff member told us, “[Service manager] is always encouraging me to speak up, and they are very open.”

Managers made sure staff were given opportunities to raise concerns, without fear or consequence. The registered manager said, “Staff are trained in whistleblowing and safeguarding, and they can all use RADAR (the provider’s system for raising and reporting safety events and concerns) as well.”

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 were treated equally and fairly at work. They received training to help inform their knowledge and understanding of equality, inclusivity and fairness in the workplace. Staff received the same opportunities to learn and progress in their roles if they wanted this. A staff member told us, “If I want to, there are opportunities for me to go further in the company. The company will support you.” The registered manager said, “We treat everyone the same. We make sure all opportunities are open to everyone to make sure it’s fair. We don’t discriminate.”

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.

Managers undertook regular checks and audits of the quality and safety of care and support provided to people. Outcomes from checks and audits were used to make any changes required and support staff to improve their working practices. Managers understood and demonstrated compliance with regulatory requirements. They also understood their responsibility to provide honest information, suitable support and to apply duty of candour where appropriate.

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.

Managers collaborated with healthcare professionals and followed their guidance and recommendations to support staff learning and improve the safety and quality of the care and support provided to people. A healthcare professional told us, “I find [senior staff member] very willing to take on advice and support to make improvements in care. Indeed, she has taken on all advice provided.”

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system.

Feedback was obtained from people, their representatives and staff to help the service continue to learn and improve. Managers used this feedback, along with learning from events and outcomes from audits and checks, to make improvements to the quality and safety of the care and support provided to people.

Managers attended local networking meetings and forums to build on their knowledge and gather innovative ideas that supported continuous improvement of the service for people.