Beehive Care & Training Group 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. 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 82 (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 manager told us the service they provided “truly keeps people in the driving seat”, with staff at all levels describing a shared commitment to this. Staff told us the visions and values of the service included “customer centred care” and “putting the customer first”. Managers reinforced the service’s values through supervision, newsletters and regular communication, which helped staff understand expectations and feel connected to the provider’s direction. As a result, staff morale was positive and people experienced care that aligned with the provider’s stated values.

The positive culture was reflected in practice through inclusive assessments, personalised care planning and consistent feedback. People and relatives described feeling listened to and involved in decisions around their care. Comments included, “They always involve me with everything. They are so kind. They are like family to me" and "I’ve got no complaints, but I would contact [manager] if I had a problem with anything and I know they would sort it out.” This supported good experiences for people and helped maintain a respectful, inclusive culture where dignity, choice and independence were valued.

External professionals described the service as genuinely person centred. Comments included, “I have found Beehive does allow people to make their own choices about how the care is provided” and “I have observed care staff offering a choice of meals and drinks to people on their visit, allowing time for communication and ensuring people have access to items such as phone, snacks, drinks, blankets and clothing left in-between visits.”

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.

People and relatives spoken with were extremely complimentary about the service. People told us, “They are a good company. I’ve had lots of others, and I can safely say they are good. The time they come is flexible. All of them are very nice”, “I would recommend them to anybody” and “It works well so far. I’m happy with everything.” Relatives told us, “It all runs very smoothly. They are doing the right job, and they are doing it well. It’s so reassuring for us", “I’ve recommended them to others as I’m so happy with them”, “I’ve no complaints. I would recommend them” and “Everything is running well. We are happy with everything.”

The provider was open, honest and responsive throughout the assessment, acting on any queries raised. They were compassionate about the service and willing to learn.

Teamwork was important to the provider. They told us, “A team is from the top down. There is no them and us, we are all as important as each other.” The management team were visible, approachable and well‑regarded by staff, people and relatives. Managers knew people well, including their histories, preferences and current needs. Managers regularly provided hands on support, including stepping in to deliver care when required, which reassured people and helped maintain continuity. People told us, "[Manager] is lovely. They come round to do my care every now and again" and “The 2 bosses both come out and deliver care for us sometimes. I think it’s great that they do that.” Relatives told us, “The service is well managed by [manager] as my [relative] gets the care they need” and “[Manager] is so on the ball. They are so on it. Their communication is good and they have a lot of common sense especially when dealing with older people. [Manager] is good at sorting out any situation that may arise. They are a true diplomat. It’s reassuring for us knowing they can deal with it all.”

Staff consistently described management as supportive, compassionate and responsive, and told us they felt listened to and valued. All staff spoken with told us they would allow a loved one to use the service.

External professionals praised the management team, describing them as responsive and effective.

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

Systems and processes were in place to encourage staff to raise concerns. This included a whistleblowing policy, a freedom to speak up policy, safeguarding training and regular supervision.

Staff told us they felt able to speak up and gave examples of concerns being raised and acted upon, including safeguarding issues and practice concerns. Management responded promptly and used incidents as learning opportunities. Staff were not always aware of the process they would take if they needed to report concerns outside of the organisation; however, they were aware of how they could access the providers policy to obtain this information.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion were promoted effectively. Staff described feeling respected and treated fairly, which contributed to good morale and continuity of care.

The provider made reasonable adjustments to support staff with protected characteristics and supported flexible working where possible. Throughout the assessment we were provided with examples of when the provider promoted flexible working arrangements to support work life balance and made reasonable adjustments for staff with health conditions or neurodiversity. This included adapting training approaches, providing additional support and extending probation where needed.

Staff spoke positively about feeling accepted, supported and treated fairly. Numerous staff spoke about how well the provider supported them.

Training and supervision reinforced equality, diversity and human rights, and management encouraged open discussion about wellbeing and individual needs. This inclusive approach supported staff retention, morale and confidence, which in turn had a positive impact on the quality and consistency of care delivered to people.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance.

The provider had recognised there were some shortfalls within the service prior to our assessment and had begun to take action to strengthen oversight and documentation. The provider had begun to develop audit and quality monitoring systems. However, these systems were not yet fully embedded or consistently applied. Some gaps were identified in areas such as care plan audits, competency oversight and the consistency of monitoring arrangements. Although improvements had been made, at the time of the assessment these improvements were still in progress and had not yet had sufficient time to demonstrate sustained impact. This meant risks were not always identified or mitigated as effectively as required. The provider recognised these shortfalls and had plans in place to strengthen oversight. This included a planned training day for all the management team and supervisors to enable expectations to be made clear.

During the assessment we identified the provider was supporting a person with a learning disability. The provider had a condition on their registration to state they should not support people with a learning disability. The provider had recently applied to have the condition removed from their registration, this had not been processed, and additional information had been requested from the provider. During the assessment the provider submitted a further application including the additional information requested to remove this condition

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 worked exceptionally well in partnership with external professionals and community services to support people’s needs. Health and social care professionals described positive, collaborative relationships, including joint visits, timely referrals and clear information sharing. This supported safe transitions and continuity of care.

The service demonstrated a strong commitment to community engagement, including supporting people to remain connected to local activities and services. The provider told us they had “Made a conscious effort to embed ourselves within the local community. Our support of initiatives such as the Nostalgic Cinema at The Beehive in Honiton reflects our belief that care should extend beyond the home, helping individuals remain connected, engaged, and part of their community.” This helped reduce isolation, promote inclusion and had a positive impact on people’s wellbeing, as well as strengthening the provider’s connection with the community.

The provider told us they were also working with Care connectors and Devon integrated social integration alliance (DISCA), promoting integrated working by bringing together care providers and professionals to share information and learning.

Management and staff understood the challenges of rural provision and worked flexibly with partners to ensure people received coordinated support. These partnerships had a positive impact on outcomes and people’s experiences of care. Comments from professionals included, “I have found working with Beehive to be very productive and from a professional standpoint I have worked with them very well” and “Beehive Care have been a very helpful, approachable and proactive agency I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the past couple of years. I have found them to be very accommodating and flexible to our NHS service, with people and their relatives. Beehive are always willing and are able to cover many of our rural areas where there have been past difficulties accessing care in isolated environments. The service demonstrates creativity, adaptability and very good care expertise as and when required to support a complex person, family dynamics or challenging environments.”

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.
The provider demonstrated a willingness to learn and took prompt action to address issues raised during the assessment.
Innovation was evident within the provider’s approach to personalised care and their use of digital care records and technology. Care records were accessible to people and relatives through digital systems. One professional told us, “Beehive uses the latest technology to ensure their records reflect the needs of the client.”
The provider was also using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to ensure consistent and safe care. The provider told us business licenses had been purchased for the management team, who can put a question or query into AI. AI then looks at the services processes, policies and systems in place, highlighting actions they need to take in line with these. This ensures the service is effective, meeting their policies and procedures, and ensures the service provided is meeting laws and regulations.