Westminster Homecare Limited – West London

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 effective systems and processes to promote a shared direction and culture. This enabled staff at all levels to understand the organisation’s vision and values and recognise how their roles helped achieve these. There was active engagement with people who used the service and staff. Staff meetings took place frequently, which helped ensure staff and the management team shared ideas and suggestions for improvements.

Staff said the culture within the service was positive, inclusive and compassionate, which helped build trust and understanding between the service and people using it.Staff and the management team demonstrated a well-developed understanding of equality, diversity, and human rights, and they prioritised safe, high-quality and compassionate care. Equality and diversity were actively promoted and the causes of any workforce inequality were quickly identified, and action taken to address the issues.

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 registered manager was experienced and demonstrated dedication and commitment to working closely with staff, healthcare professionals and people who used the service, to ensure high standards were maintained.

People using the service, their representatives and staff told us they found the registered manager approachable and helpful. Staff said they could talk to the office staff and the management team at any point and felt involved and included in the day to day running of the service and any changes that occurred. Staff said they had regular team meetings, as well as 1-1 support and supervisions, which provided opportunities for discussing any issues with the service and how to make improvements. One member of staff told us, “They have good carers and all the people working in office used to be carers, so they understand.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.The staff and management team said that everyone worked within a culture of openness, honesty, and transparency. Staff were empowered to drive improvement and encouraged to raise concerns when needed. Staff said they had full confidence in the management team and said appropriate action was taken to address any concerns and keep people safe whenever necessary.

The service had effective systems and processes in place to help ensure people knew how and felt confident to speak up, raise concerns and whistle-blow, without fear of retribution. We saw the service had a whistleblowing policy, which was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.

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.The management team provided effective and proactive ways to engage with and involve staff, with a focus on hearing their voices and listening. Staff told us they felt supported to develop their skills and knowledge and were offered training to help with career development.

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.Throughout this assessment, the registered manager and the wider management team demonstrated that they had the skills and knowledge to provide a well-led service. They had a clear understanding of their responsibilities and were familiar with guidance for providers on meeting the regulations.

Staff, people using the service and their representatives told us they felt the service was well managed and said the management team were very approachable and supportive. People told us the service kept in touch with them by phone or email. One person said, “I send them emails and that’s the main interaction. We’ve never had any issues with management.” Another person explained, “Yes it’s very easy to get in touch with them [the management]. Sometimes the manager will ring to see if any changes are needed.”

The provider had effective processes and systems for storing people's risk assessments, care plans, and daily logs. Data was robustly stored, collated and used to update and improve the service provided. Any areas needing improvement were then addressed. There were thorough audits, and the complaints system was regularly monitored, which enabled staff and the provider to learn from and improve the service. People, their relatives and staff provided regular feedback to identify if people were receiving the care and support, they needed.

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. The registered manager and the regional head of operations described how they worked closely with the local authority and said they had a good working relationship with them.

External partners spoke positively about the working relationship they had with the service. They confirmed the service worked hard to address any shortfalls and make improvements where needed. People’s care and support plans demonstrated that people were referred to appropriate healthcare professionals when needed. Information and guidance from external healthcare professionals was shared with care staff to help ensure consistency in providing care and support.

The service supported people to access and be involved in the community involvement as much as possible and in accordance with people’s individual choices. People and their representatives spoke positively about the service and the care provided. They told us that staff helped enable people to be at the centre of their own care and be as independent as possible. People also confirmed that the service worked well with other professionals when needed.One person’s representative told us, “If [relative] is unwell, the carers contact the GP and the GP then calls me. They [staff] record this on their devices.”

A member of staff told us that a referral was made to the relevant healthcare professional, after observing a person transferring unsafely from their chair to use their walking frame. They also explained how another referral was made for continence support.

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. The service had effective systems and processes in place to help ensure that lessons were learnt when things went wrong. We noted that any issues were raised and discussed in team meetings, as well as during staff’s supervision sessions. We found that lessons had been learned from mistakes and shortfalls in the past and appropriate action had been taken to ensure improvements were made and maintained.

The staff and management team told us how they contributed to making improvements to the service. Staff said they were encouraged to put forward improvement ideas and, those we spoke with, said they trusted the management team to listen and act.Staff told us that if things went wrong, the issues were discussed with staff during team meetings and individual support and supervisions. The service had introduced new systems during the last 2 years and care staff gave positive feedback about care plans and electronic note writing.