Best Care Co

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 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 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 provider had a shared vision, strategy and culture that supported the delivery of good quality, person centred care.

Leaders promoted positive values and behaviours, and these were understood by staff and reflected in people’s experiences. The provider had a clear ethos focused on kindness, safety and person-centred care, which was embedded in day-to-day practice. The registered manager described priorities that included maintaining safe, high-quality care while growing sustainably and ensuring staff were supported. They told us, “We plan to continue to prioritise safety of clients and bring some happiness to them during our visits… we share this ethos with our staff.”

Staff feedback reflected this shared culture. One member of staff described the service values as “caring, respectful, skilled, supportive and transparent”. Relatives consistently described a positive and values-led culture.

Leaders were capable, compassionate and inclusive.

Leaders were suitably qualified and experienced. They were visible and approachable, understood their responsibilities, and supported staff to deliver safe, effective and person-centred care. The registered manager and directors all had frontline care experience, which supported credible and compassionate leadership.

Staff consistently told us they felt supported and trusted leadership. One carer told us “.. I have a high level of trust in the managers. They are very transparent and honest”. Another staff member told us, “I feel I am not just a number to them.”

Leaders demonstrated inclusive decision making by supporting flexible working arrangements, providing additional support for staff with technology needs, and recognising cultural and religious events.

The provider had created an open and supportive culture where staff felt able to speak up, raise concerns and share feedback, confident that this would be listened to and acted upon.

The provider had appropriate policies in place, including a whistleblowing policy that included contact details for external organisations such as CQC.

Staff told us they felt confident to raise concerns. One care staff said, “The managers are extremely easy to talk to” and confirmed they would feel listened to if they raised a concern.

We saw evidence that incidents and concerns were reviewed by the registered manager and discussed at monthly board meetings, with learning identified and actions agreed. This showed leaders encouraged openness and acted on feedback.

The provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion and supported staff to meet their individual needs.

Leaders understood the importance of fair treatment and took steps to ensure staff felt respected and valued. The provider had equality, diversity and human rights policies in place. Leaders supported staff with flexible working patterns, transport needs and additional help with technology.

One example included extra support to help care staff access and complete online training. Staff told us they could share their needs without judgement and felt respected and valued.

The provider had effective governance and management systems in place to monitor quality, manage risks and support the ongoing sustainability of the service.

Leaders had oversight of performance and used information to drive improvement. The registered manager maintained oversight through audits, Key Performance Indicators monitoring and daily review of electronic care records. This oversight included missed and late visits, medicines, incidents, safeguarding, complaints, compliments and dependency/staffing levels. These were reviewed regularly and discussed at monthly board meetings to inform action planning.

We saw examples where incidents were reviewed, with learning identified and shared with staff. Leaders demonstrated a cautious approach to growth, explaining they had paused expansion while recruitment remained challenging to ensure quality care was maintained.

The provider worked in partnership with other professionals and community services to support people’s care and wellbeing.

Leaders understood the importance of collaborative working and shared responsibility for outcomes. The provider worked closely with a range of health and social care professionals including GPs, district nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacies and mental health teams. Professionals provided positive feedback.

People were supported to access activities in the community.

Leaders also described plans to strengthen community engagement, including developing links with local neighbourhood care organisations and attending community events.

The provider had systems to support learning, improvement and innovation.

Leaders reviewed incidents, feedback and performance information and used this to make improvements to the service.

The provider used innovation to support quality and safety, including electronic care records with real‑time alerts, access to GP Connect for up‑to‑date clinical information, and involving people in carer selection through video interviews.

Leaders understood current pressures and were taking action to strengthen systems oversight and capacity.

The registered manager described clear priorities, including improving feedback mechanisms, continuing to invest in staff training and increasing management capacity by reducing direct care commitments. Leaders demonstrated a commitment to sustainable growth, community engagement and retaining skilled staff to support people’s needs in the future.