Carers Break Community Interest Company

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 79 (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.

There was a positive and inclusive culture at the service. People, relatives, staff and external professionals felt the service was well run. A professional told us, “I have visited the offices on several occasions and have always found [registered manager] to be welcoming and approachable. This culture is clearly reflected in the staff, who are consistently positive, engaged and welcoming.” and “Encouraging culture of accountability and responsibility, and not one of blame.” Another said, “He [registered manager] never settles for the status quo and is driven by a clear commitment to innovation, ensuring the best possible working environment for his staff and the highest possible standard of care for the people he supports.”

All the staff we spoke with told us they felt valued, supported and listened to by the registered manager, nominated individual, manager and coordinators. Their comments included, “Best company I have worked for” and “Coordinators are very quick with any concerns, doesn’t feel like a job.” and “Training is above and beyond. Really enjoyable. Not watching PowerPoints but practical informative and gives us confidence.”

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.

People were complimentary of the service and its leadership. They told us, “The management is very visible, and you can get in touch with them easily, always there when needed.” One person I supported said they would like to meet the [registered manager], the [registered manager] is always there for us [care staff] and the people we support.” A professional commented “If a member of my family required home care services [registered manager] would be the first person I would contact, and I would have complete confidence in paying for the services to support my loved ones.”

Team newsletters were positive and engaging with lots of praise and a recognition that the service performed better “When we all pull together.”

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

People knew how to contact managers or coordinators if they had concerns. The registered manager told us they welcomed people, staff and visitors to raise concerns with them.

Staff told us, “Can freely speak up about problems with people we support or members of staff, always so approachable.”

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 cultural and religious needs of staff were respected and requests for reasonable adjustments to working patterns were looked on favourably.

Staff told us they were treated fairly by their managers, were well supported and encouraged to develop their skills. Staff that preferred to were able to record notes via voice recognition and received extra support from the trainer and staff if required.

All staff completed training on Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI) and Human Rights, fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace culture.

The provider engaged with the local authority to provide funded basic English lessons for their overseas workers.

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 completed required notifications to CQC, including safeguarding notifications, which demonstrated an understanding of their regulatory responsibilities. The service used an electronic care system to record daily notes and communicate changes, which supported oversight of people’s care.

However, governance arrangements were not always fully effective in driving learning and improvement. Complaints and incident records were not consistently logged in a way that evidenced what actions had been taken, whether risks had been reduced, or whether outcomes for people had improved. This reduced assurances that learning from concerns, accidents and incidents was consistently reviewed and used to prevent reoccurrence.

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 worked in collaboration with health and social care partners to support people to achieve their goals and aspirations. Professionals were consistently complimentary of the services’ approach and effective communication. Comments included, “Approaches their work in an open and collaborative way, willingly sharing learning and insight to benefit the wider system.”

The provider had a focus 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 contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

Professionals told us, “The [registered manager] has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to strengthening the care work workforce and improving outcomes across the sector.” and “When staff attend training, they actively discuss their practice with clients, and we always try to utilise sometime during training to share good practice.”