OOJ Homecare Services Limited

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 71 (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.

Staff meetings took place regularly and were complemented by internal newsletters sent to staff. These communications ensured relevant aspects about care and the management of the service were discussed and clear direction given to staff.

People and relatives shared positive feedback about the care received and told us they would recommend the service to others. Comments included, “They are a good agency. I would recommend them for anybody."

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.

The management team were knowledgeable about people’s needs. They worked closely with staff, healthcare professionals and people and relatives, to ensure people received safe care. People and relatives were positive about the registered manager and the support they provided. Their comments included, “If I have an issue, [name of registered manager] normally responds quite quickly. I haven’t any issues at all” and “Very approachable, professional, and she sorts any issues.”

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

The registered manager promoted openness and learning throughout the staff team, during team meetings and offering opportunities for staff to develop by accessing additional training. Staff told us how they felt supported to raise any concerns. There were systems in place to ensure effective communication.
The registered manager was in contact with people and relatives via the phone or through visits to review people’s care and ask for feedback. Questionnaires were given to people who used the service and their relatives. The results of these surveys were analysed by the registered manager. A relative commented, “Good communication, never had any problems and they have sorted it. I have never had any problems in 3 years. Yes, always resolved. I don’t have to keep at them, they just do it.” Another relative said, “I speak to [name of registered manager], I email her or speak to her. Everything has gone fine. If I phone and say anything it does filter through to the carers. You know things will get done.”

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.

Staff told us the management were supportive and any issues raised would be acted on promptly.

The registered manager explained how they organised the rotas considering staff’s preferences and personal commitments.

We found some improvements had been made with the quality assurance systems in place, however we continued to find areas where further improvements were required, particularly in relation to records. For example, spot checks and competency assessments lacked some details about checks on the quality of care provided and staff's performance. Medication audits did not cover all areas linked to good practice guidance in safe medicines management.

We continued to find inconsistency with the provider's compliance with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) requirements. We did not find evidence people who lacked capacity to make decisions about their care were receiving care that was not in their best interests. The registered manager was in contact with relatives and other professionals to make sure care was provided in people’s best interests. However, we found examples where mental capacity assessments and best interest decision had not been recorded. After our assessment, we reviewed evidence confirming improvements were being made.

We found some issues with recording practices in relation to medicines and MCA but this had not impacted on the quality or safety of care people received. By the end of the assessment, the registered manager had implemented changed to ensure the necessary improvements to recording practices were embedded.

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 showed us health and social care professionals were regularly involved with people's care planning. Professional advice was documented and followed.

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.

There was evidence that learning from incidents and quality assurance issues identified were being used to improve the service provided.

The registered manager was part of local networks of providers to improve their knowledge, skills and opportunities for networking to improve the service provided.