Highland Care UK 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 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.

Staff understood their role and the shared direction and culture of the service. A staff member told us, “My role is to provide safe, person-centred care while following policies and maintaining professionalism.”

The registered manager told us, “Our service is built on person-centred care, to respect dignity, promoting independence of a [person]. These values guide us through everything we need to do with the [person]. We focus on individual needs, preferences, goals, treating everyone with respect, and compassion, valuing their identity, culture and choices.” The registered manager explained this was shared with staff through induction and training. The nominated individual told us, “We regularly reinforce these values through meetings. When we go out to do the spot checks, then we bring [staff] into the supervisions to make sure they understand these values.” Records confirmed this was the case.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care 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 in their role. Responses from staff included, “[Managers] are very approachable and considerate when it comes to staff management” and “I believe the service is well managed. I have been able to contact the manager on several occasions during out of hours and I have been attended to with all sense of responsibility.”

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

A person told us, “[Manager] sometimes rings me if they know something’s happened, to ask me how I am feeling.” A relative said, “I made a point of speaking to the manager every now and again, because they would ring just to see how [staff] were doing and if there was anything they could help or facilitate with."

Staff told us they were comfortable approaching and talking with managers. A staff member said, “I am able to approach the manager and the management team with concerns and suggestions which is well taken into consideration.”

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 felt they were treated equally and responses included, “Staff are treated fairly, and there is an out-of-hours contact available if needed” and “I feel Highland Care treats staff fairly and equally and promotes respect, teamwork, and inclusion within the workplace.” The registered manager said, “We have not noticed any inequality, at the present moment,but we have a policy guiding us against any inequality that may arise. We have a 24-hour phone, and we have supervisors on standby in case if a carer needs any support.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, and support.

The provider had systems in place to obtain feedback from people and relatives about the quality of care received. Quality audits were carried out regularly to check the quality of care provided. The provider also carried out regular spot checks on staff working to check their competence in providing care. These systems enabled the provider to identify areas for improvement and include in their continuous improvement plan. The managers understood their responsibilities under the Duty of Candour.

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.

A relative told us, “[Highland Care] went over and above [what was expected] and were very personable. They were good at working alongside the palliative care service.”

The registered manager told us they worked in partnership with other services and, “The benefit is that they give us professional advice and reports. They direct us to the professional way of providing the service and good working practice.”

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.

People, relatives and staff were encouraged to make suggestions of ideas for improvement. The provider had a continuous improvement plan in place to help with making improvements. The nominated individual told us, “We keep up to date with best practice guidance, training and regulatory updates to ensure the service continues to improve.”