Helping Hands Gloucester

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 79 (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 and leaders demonstrated a positive, compassionate and inclusive culture that promoted trust and understanding between them and the people using the service. The provider sought to involve staff and people in shaping the direction of the service and keep them up to date with changes.

Staff told us there had been improvements to the service and team and spoke positively about the culture commenting, “Since I've started, I'm aware there has been a new team in the office, they seem to be doing things really good. I've worked for a few care companies and this by far is one of the better companies I work with” and “They focus on ‘how do we fix this’ rather than ‘whose fault is this’. They actually take action on what is reported and discuss with you how to go about things.”

The registered manager had worked hard to foster a close knit team and address some of the areas that had previously caused divisions. The registered manager told us, “I am really passionate about getting things right, my team are the same direction, and we all want the same and want what’s best. It is a new team together, lots of upskilling, we promoted one of our carers and there is a lot of learning for all of us, we are supportive and we are a team that cares.”
 

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 clear and visible leadership within the service. The registered manager demonstrated good knowledge and insight into the needs of people the service supported, and what mattered to them. The registered manager kept up to date with their own training, knowledge and skills, so they remained well placed to support the staff team.

Without exception all staff praised the registered manager for their leadership, support and understanding. Staff told us, “It’s definitely well run, [registered manager] is a great support and area manager support if I’m stuck, I feel confident in what I’m doing”, “Everything is going well. They include me in everything. The managers are really approachable, really understanding. All I know is I feel very valued and supported by this company. They are flexible and I feel supported” and “The support from the office is excellent, all the care givers in this agency are very caring and easy to work with, the clients are all amazing and I enjoy my job very much.

Leaders demonstrated respect and compassion for the staff team and valued the staff as individuals. One staff told us about a time when they had an issue that affected them being able to carry out their care visits that day saying, “.They supported me and made sure that I was not stressed or felt any pressure as I could not attend my calls. Although it would’ve been very stressful for them to deal with, they didn’t make me feel their stress or allow me to feel negative in anyway.”

The registered manager and office team were highly regarded by people and their relatives, with comments highlighting their responsiveness, communication, and approachable nature. People and their relatives told us, “Staff are all very nice, [relative] is happy with them and the manager is very, very good”, “They are an amazing company, I really don’t think there is anything they could do better” and “I would recommend them. The management seems to be very good. They are responsive, deal with issues promptly, and manage medication effectively.”
 

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

Staff were are supported and encouraged to speak up, beginning with the staff handbook they receive when joining, which includes clear guidance on policies and how to access them. The leadership team has worked hard to create a culture where raising concerns is normal practice and openly discussed, with discreet posters displayed in the office to ensure everyone knows how to report issues safely.

Staff expressed confidence in the process, explaining that if they notice something wrong, they feel comfortable bringing it up and knew who to approach. Staff told us they felt confident to go higher if a concern was not resolved, though this has not yet been necessary.
 

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 registered manager said they had an open-door policy and gave staff opportunities to raise concerns with them through team meetings and supervisions. Meetings were held at different times to enable as many staff as possible to attend and information from meetings was shared.

Staff spoke to us about ways in which the registered manager had provided reasonable adjustments to their ways of working. This included some staff working flexibly to suit around other responsibilities and commitments outside of work. Staff told us, “Yes they’ve been really good. I used to work [work pattern] and only recently I asked to change.. They were happy with that, and they are really good with my flexibility” and “They are flexible. I haven't needed any flexible arrangements personally, but they are always flexible.”

We saw leaders followed the provider’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy in promoting a working environment based on dignity, trust, and respect. One staff member told us how they worked to support staff commenting, “The team is a lot better now. From when I was caring I know what it was like and I can be the person they need, can keep up to date with what is important to the staff like annual leave and communication.”
 

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 service operated with a clear governance framework, which included clear oversight, and consistent monitoring. Regular audits of care delivery were untaken across areas including care plans, medicine administration, clinical practices and complaints and compliments. This information was collated and used to identify areas of improvement and drive positive changes.

There was a team approach to monitor and oversee the quality of care people received. The registered manager and office staff held meetings to discuss their roles, support for staff and ensuring that communication with people and staff was kind and supported good outcomes for people.

The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities to submit statutory notifications to CQC as required by law. The registered manager told us they felt well supported by their team and other supporting roles within the organisation.
 

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 recognised the importance of building relationships with key partners to establish open communication and ensure that people’s needs could be met fully, and information shared appropriately and effectively across services.

This approach had recently included some work with a group that supported unpaid carers to raise awareness of what resources, guidance and support were available to people in the community.
 

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 registered manager was committed to improving the service for people and ensuring that issues identified led to real changes. We saw examples where the registered manager had identified areas to improve and opportunities to implement a different approach. One person had fallen 3 times and although it was highlighted they had a medical reason for this, increased care support was put in place and a falls referral made as a preventative action.

The service had a new office team were, and the registered manager had ensured these staff had delegated responsibilities to focus on and take the lead in, so people and staff knew who to approach for what area. The registered manager said this was working well and they had supported staff to become upskilled and improve relations between the staff teams.

Staff told us that they were given the opportunity to feed into developing and improving the service commenting, “All the time. Every time you go in for a meeting, they say if there is anything you think we could do better, drop an email or a call and we will look into it” and “Yes, in staff meetings they encourage us to say what needs to improve. As far as I know, I think everything is ok.”

The registered manager told us the assessment pack shared with people when they joined the service now had pictures and a bit of background about the office team so people could learn about them and know who they were. The registered manager told us, “I have also started newsletters for people, and we can share news and information, and we have a gratitude for carers so trying to get them involved. We have been raising money for [charity name] so people can pay a pound and tell us their fondest memory and moments of kindness, which means a lot to people to see their staff getting appreciated.”