Chinite Home Care Darlington and Northeast

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered 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 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.

The management team explained their intentions for improving and developing the service. Staff told us they were able to raise things directly with leaders and felt listened to.

The management team understood the requirement to continually improve, monitor and evaluate the service. The provider updated some processes and procedures during the assessment in response to the issues raised by us. They told us they were happy to take on board feedback as they were committed to prioritising safe, high-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 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 valued and supported by leaders. A member of staff told us, “Honestly speaking, since I have started [in my new role] management have encouraged and supported me.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. There was a whistleblowing policy available to staff and leaders promoted an open-door policy. Staff reported feeling comfortable and confident raising concerns, contributing to an open and transparent culture. A staff member told us, “Whenever I have spoken to the office or shared my thoughts or asked questions, I have felt listened to."

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 they felt there was a fair culture. They reported feeling happy in their roles and were well supported by the provider. A staff member told us, “Overall, I enjoy working here. The team is supportive, and I appreciate the opportunities to learn and provide good care to our service users.”

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

Although audits had been completed, these had not been completely effective. For example, we found inaccuracies in medicines records and gaps in the staff training log that had not been picked up by management checks. The provider was responsive to this feedback and put an action plan in place to make improvements.

Although the registered manager was not based locally, staff were still well supported by them, and a senior team who visited the office on rotation. People’s relatives were aware of this arrangement and told us they, “thought nothing of it” and had, “no concerns really.”

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.

We received positive feedback from external professionals and saw examples of positive engagement with health and social care professional in the records we reviewed. One professional told us, “They are very welcoming, helpful and receptive to feedback.” A member of staff told us they had positive relationships with partners including the local authority. They said, “I interact with them (the local authority) a lot and they are very responsive when I reach out to ask anything.”

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.

Staff members felt able to contribute, make suggestions and request help and support whenever needed. A member of staff told us, “I do feel listened to when I share my thoughts or concerns with management.”