Midlands Supported Living

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 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. Leaders were open about where improvements were needed and shared clear plans with staff. Staff told us managers were approachable and provided guidance when required. Minutes from staff meetings showed a consistent message about expectations, learning and improvement. Leaders were visible across the service and made themselves available, which helped staff feel supported and aligned with the provider’s direction. This promoted a culture of openness, consistency and shared responsibility for delivering good quality care.

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 the

workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The service was led by capable and compassionate leaders who were knowledgeable about quality priorities. External professionals and local authority commissioners told us they had seen improvements in the service. Leaders understood the pressures faced by senior care staff and took action to support staff wellbeing, which helped maintain safe and effective care. Staff said leadership had improved compared with the past and that managers listened to them. Leaders accessed appropriate support and development and demonstrated inclusive decision making that considered staff welfare and people’s needs.

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

Whistleblowing policies had been updated, and staff told us they felt confident to speak up or give feedback to managers. We saw evidence from meeting minutes and staff feedback

that concerns were listened to and addressed. Relatives also told us they would speak up if needed and had no concerns, reflecting confidence in the provider’s openness and transparency. Leaders and staff acted with honesty and encouraged feedback to improve the service.

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 supported workforce equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff had completed equality and diversity training, and the service employed staff with protected characteristics. Staff told us they were treated equally and felt more valued under the current leadership team. Leaders promoted inclusive practice and supported staff to understand people’s cultural needs and individual preferences. This helped create a fair and respectful workplace and supported staff to deliver equitable care to people using the service.

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 governance systems to monitor quality and manage risk. We saw quality assurance audits and oversight arrangements. Where shortfalls were identified, such as delays in submitting statutory notifications, the registered manager took immediate action and reissued guidance to deputy managers to improve compliance. Leaders demonstrated accountability and a commitment to learning and improvement. These actions supported the sustainability of the service and helped ensure risks were identified and addressed promptly.

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 provider worked in partnership with external organisations and the wider community. Local authority commissioning monitoring reported no concerns or required actions, and Healthwatch had received no concerns about the service. Staff worked with external health and care professionals to support people’s needs and access community services. People were supported to maintain community links and meaningful activities, which promoted inclusion and continuity of care.

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 had effective systems to learn from incidents and drive improvement. We saw lessons learned logs and evidence that learning was shared through staff meetings. Leaders and staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to make improvements happen, including measuring outcomes and impact. Staff meeting minutes showed a consistent focus on identifying areas for improvement and providing support to achieve change. This approach helped embed learning and supported continuous improvement across the service.