Archived: Hanover 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. The provider had identified a philosophy of care for the way they provided support which valued each person as an individual and provided clear expectations of how staff should provide care. There was a positive culture across the service and staff demonstrated they understood how people wanted their care provided. People and relatives told us they were happy with the care and support provided. A relative told us, “I am happy for [family member] to be here. The staff are good, and we work together to make sure their needs met. I trust them completely.” Staff gave examples of what they felt was the best things about working at the service which included, “I have so much support from the team leader and the registered manager” and “The job itself of looking after people. It is rewarding, I like helping people, it makes me happy. The job is different every day. People’s needs may change and what they want to do/go out is different daily.”

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. Staff told us they felt supported and were confident to speak with senior staff if they had any questions or issues. Staff comments included, “I feel supported, I can go to shift leader or a [registered] manager at any time”, and “If I need any help, I can ask my team for help, or they find someone who can help.” The registered managers told us staff had the contact telephone numbers for the provider if needed. The provider had a leadership development record which identified the qualifications being undertaken by senior staff and any additional specialist training they have completed.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had developed a whistleblowing policy which was shared with staff through supervisions, team meetings, inductions and information displayed in offices. Staff told us they understood the whistleblowing policy and felt able to raise concerns. A staff member said, “Personally if I have a question, I always ask them, and we can ask in supervision.”

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 registered managers told us the diverse cultures and faiths of the people they supported were reflected in the staff members who worked in the various houses. The registered managers explained that they would try match the staff with the specific needs of the person they were supporting. Staff told us they felt their needs were supported by the senior staff. The registered managers said that the rotas of staff members were altered so they could attend any religious events. Risk assessments were completed for staff including mobility and maternity assessments. Staff members preferred learning styles were identified so that they could be supported appropriately with training.

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 a range of audits which were completed by senior staff. These included medicines, fire safety, financial transactions and care planning. Audits were carried out for each of their locations and if any issues were identified an action plan was completed. The provider had procedures to ensure people’s information was kept securely in line with legislation and best practice. The provider had developed contingency plans for each of their separate locations which provided guidance if an incident occurred which impacted the provision of care. There were 2 registered manager who each had oversight and responsibility for homes within a specific local authority.

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 with a range of organisations to ensure people’s support needs were met. They worked with healthcare professionals who supported people with their health and wellbeing, local colleges, local authorities, religious communities and learning disability and autism services. A health and social care professional told us, “The service works well with family carers and statutory agencies, keeping us informed of changes and any concerns and operating as part of the multi-disciplinary team around each client.”

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. A healthcare professional commented, “Overall, I believe the project is well run and engagement between staff, residents and statutory services have been to a very good standard that should be used as an example for other supported living facilities in the surrounding area.” The provider carried out regular surveys with people, relatives and staff to obtain feedback on the care provided and an action plan was developed if any issues were raised. Feedback was also obtained through regular meetings with people to check if they had any wishes or concerns about their care. Staff were supported with ongoing learning and development through a range of training courses to ensure they were up to date with best practice. Lessons learned following incidents, accidents, complaints and safeguarding were discussed with staff to reduce further risks.