Fresh Tree Care Services – Surrey Branch

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 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 service 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 registered manager, deputy manager and staff were committed to providing the best care. The origin of the service came from personal experiences of care and a desire to ensure staff were there for everyone who needed them. The registered manager said, “My vision is good care and putting smiles on people’s faces. We have reviews and feedback in place like surveys to ensure we’re always making improvements.” Everyone was clear about the vision and purpose of the service, and this was communicated through induction, ongoing training and monitoring.

The service 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.

People, their relatives and staff were complimentary about the leadership of the service. The registered manager and deputy manager had the right knowledge, skills, and experience to lead the team. Everyone was positive about the registered manager and deputy manager. Some of the comments included: The registered manager [name], I believe they are approachable and committed to maintain good standard of care”, “The deputy manager [name] is so accommodating and empathetic”, “I feel confident in their leadership”, “I’m feeling confident under their leadership to work in their team.”

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

People and their relatives were provided with various ways to give their views on the service. They told us they were happy to speak with staff, the registered manager or deputy manager to address any concerns. Staff felt comfortable raising concerns, they knew how to speak up and had confidence they would be supported. The registered manager told us it was vital to be open and transparent and said, “If we make a mistake, we offer apologies and learn from it. It’s important to be transparent and not hide anything.” Staff felt comfortable working for the service.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

Staff told us they were content, felt accepted and appreciated by their colleagues, the registered manager and the deputy manager. Policies and procedures were in place and incorporated all aspects of recruitment and staffing such as, equality, diversity, fairness and protected characteristics. The policies underpinned acceptable practices within the service which were reinforced by staff training.

The service 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 act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

Governance systems were operating effectively which enabled the deputy manager and registered manager to have oversight of the service. There was an extensive range of audits, analysis and checks within the service, these had supported safety and quality. All audits and checks had action plans, outcomes and learning. The registered manager had made all notifications to CQC as required by law. A notification is the action a provider is legally bound to take to tell us about any changes to their regulated services or incidents that have taken place in them. Policies and procedures underpinned all working practices within the service.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

The provider supported people in partnership with their key professionals and ensured effective communication. Staff told us they were confident in the care of people. Roles and responsibilities were clear; the registered manager and management team set clear expectations. The provider supported people to ensure they could access other services. Records showed involvement of external professionals and joint working.

The service 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 contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

Action plans from audits and monitoring checks were comprehensive, including realistic deadlines and individuals responsible for implementing changes. The registered manager and deputy manager told us about the ways in which they were continually looking to improve the service. This included being proactive in identifying shortfalls through their audits and checks and sharing learning across the provider’s locations. The service continually sought to engage with people and improve outcomes.