Enerst Care Carlisle

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. This key question has been ratedgood.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.

A Statement of Purpose was in place and outlined the aims, values, and culture of the service. The registered manager demonstrated an understanding of promoting a positive and person-centred culture across the service.

Feedback from staff was positive, with a staff member stating, “I think it's good, it's nice. The service is nice.” This indicated staff felt supported and understood the values and expectations of the service.

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.

Leaders were viewed as capable, skilled and effective, providing strong oversight and clear direction. Staff consistently described leaders as caring, supportive and committed to both people and service delivery. Feedback from staff was overwhelmingly positive, with a member of staff commenting: “They are good, they give us updates. They understand and they go above and beyond.” This reflected a wider view that leaders were visible, engaged and responsive to the needs of both staff and people using the service.

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

Staff told us they had opportunities to speak up and share their views. The registered manager used a variety of methods to gather feedback, including staff surveys, monthly team meetings and group supervision sessions held four times a year. Staff felt these forums enabled them to raise issues, contribute ideas and stay informed about developments within the service. One staff member said, “Yes, we have surveys and team meetings.” This demonstrated that systems were in place to encourage open communication and staff engagement.

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.

The provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion through policies, training and day-to-day practice. Staff raised no concerns regarding discrimination, unfair treatment or barriers to inclusion. Where health conditions were identified during pre-employment checks, any required support was discussed with staff to ensure reasonable adjustments were considered and implemented where needed. Staff told us they were treated fairly, valued by the organisation and supported with their 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.

The provider had relevant policies and procedures in place to support safe and effective governance. A range of audits were completed to monitor quality, safety and compliance across the service. Findings from audits were reviewed and captured within an overarching action plan, which supported oversight of actions and service developments.

These arrangements enabled the provider to identify areas for improvement, monitor progress and promote continuous learning across the service. The use of an overarching action plan helped to coordinate learning, track emerging themes and demonstrate how audit findings informed ongoing improvements to the quality and safety of care.

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.

Records demonstrated effective collaboration with external professionals and families, while ensuring people remained at the centre of decisions about their care and support. Feedback from professionals was positive and reflected confidence in the service. One professional told us, “There are no concerns to report to date.” This demonstrated the provider worked effectively with other agencies to achieve positive outcomes for people.

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.

The provider demonstrated a commitment to learning and improvement. Staff had completed Oliver McGowan training, and there were plans for staff to undertake Level 3 Health and Social Care qualifications to further develop their skills and knowledge.

Systems were in place to support service development and monitor progress. A mock CQC audit had been completed in the month prior to our assessment, and the provider maintained a service improvement plan to identify and address areas for development. SMART action plans were used to support oversight of improvement activities and monitor progress against agreed objectives.

The provider had also introduced the use of artificial intelligence to support the recording of care notes. This helped reduce administrative tasks and supported the registered manager to spend more time focusing on people and the quality of care provided. These approaches demonstrated a positive culture of learning, reflection and continuous improvement.