The YOU Trust

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 82 (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 demonstrated shared values and consistently prioritised ensuring people had good quality care. Leaders and staff helped people to increase their independence and live full, active lives. People were supported to make their own daily choices. The team worked closely together. Feedback showed people felt in control and happy with their support.

People and families took part in regular meetings about their support. These meetings helped people stay involved in planning and decision-making. Feedback showed open, honest communication. Concerns were handled quickly, and ideas were shared.

A professional told us, “There is a strong culture of openness, learning, and continuous improvement, with leaders who listen to feedback and act on it. Their commitment to advocacy and high-quality support is evident throughout the service”.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

There was strong collaboration, team-working and support throughout the service. Staff were engaged, empowered and united by shared values, with a clear sense of belonging and a common focus on improving the quality of care and people’s experience. The management team worked closely and effectively with each other and ensured the values and culture were fully imbedded into all the houses. Staff provided positive feedback; examples included “Management and colleagues are amazing” and “All the managers including higher management are very knowledgeable supportive and encouraging, they have given me confidence to progress my career. “A professional told us, “The You trust is clearly well led, with leadership that is visible, engaged, and supportive. Managers at all levels are accessible and proactive, setting a positive tone for the organisation.”

The leadership focus on collaborative working towards improving the quality of care and people’s experience was reflected in comments from people using the service and relatives. People and relatives provided very positive feedback, which included comments on how the recently transferred support packages had improved. Comments included, “Now it is great. It has improved massively since the YOU Trust took over and the management team changed”, “The new manager is very engaged and determined, everyone has a better quality of life” and “They [manager] do a tremendous job, I absolutely feel valued and listened to.”

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

People living in the services were asked for their views and were given the opportunity to speak up daily both informally, in meetings, and through surveys. We reviewed people’s daily support notes and noted people spoke up, and their decisions and choices were respected. We reviewed people’s surveys where they were encouraged to speak up. This meant people’s voices were heard.

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 supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. They told us they had access to relevant policies.

The registered manager told us about the organisations flexible working policy which meant staff could apply for adjustments in their work to be made if needed. They gave examples of when this had happened in practice.

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 effective quality assurance procedures to monitor quality of care. Action was taken to address shortfalls and staff were supported to fully embed improvements and ensure these were sustained.

The service regularly completed robust quality assurance audits and effective action plans were in place, monitored and continuously updated. The registered manager understood their responsibilities and was aware of the need to notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of any significant events in line with the regulations.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The people were supported to arrange fundraiser in their local community, The event was inclusive to all and included a wheelchair race, where everyone received a certificate and a small prize for taking part. The event was so successful that the council has asked to be included in next year’s event. A person proudly showed us their certificate.

As detailed throughout the report, the service actively encouraged people to access the community and use local facilities, further examples include, people joining theatre groups, taking part in audition and being chosen to be key members of the cast, a person hosting a radio show, and a people obtaining paid employment receiving very positive feedback and had their contracted hours increased.

There were numerous examples of where staff and leaders engaged with people to share learning that resulted in continuous improvements to the service. For example, regular audits and monthly engagement meetings.

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.

The provider engaged people, their families and staff in the running of the service and invited feedback through informal chats and regular meetings. Staff were encouraged to regularly feedback about the service delivery and share ideas on how the service could be improved. Anonymous quality assurance questionnaires were sent to people, their families, staff and professionals once a year. We saw the provider used this feedback to make improvements.