Hales Group Limited - Leeds

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 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.

Staff told us they felt part of the team and liked working at the service. A staff member said, “I enjoy working for Hales, we are all making improvements together.” The registered manager told us “We are involved in, in-house awards, an awards night by Hales group which was held in a hotel with a full awards ceremony. This is a great way to acknowledge people’s good work. We also look at values and who has promoted those values.”

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.

Leaders demonstrated a thorough understanding of the service and the people they supported. Decisions were informed, person‑centred and aligned with organisational values. This resulted in a positive culture where people experienced good quality care, and staff felt empowered, trusted and motivated.

Staff were complimentary about the management team and found them approachable and inclusive. A staff member said, “Yes currently our manager is on leave, and she sent a message informing us the coordinators would support us, and we should inform the regional manager if they can’t help. It’s mostly positive, the carers and management are doing fantastic. It’s a good company with good staff.”

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

The management team actively encouraged openness, honesty and constructive challenge, ensuring every voice was heard and taken seriously. Staff told us they could raise concerns or ideas without fear of negative consequences, and feedback was always welcomed.

The registered manager was aware of the importance of supporting staff to speak up.

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 provider ensured there were a wide range of up-to-date policies and procedures which included recruitment, staff development and training opportunities. This ensured the workforce, including leaders were representative of the population of people using the service.

There was a consensus among all staff of an equitable workplace.

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.

The provider had governance systems in place, and these were generally effective. However, they had not identified the issues relating to medicines management that were found during our assessment. It is important to note that these issues had not adversely affected people receiving their medicines, and there was no evidence of individuals being harmed. The provider provided assurance that appropriate action would be taken to address the identified gaps.

The provider’s governance processes had identified gaps in care records prior to our assessment, and action was already underway to address these issues. This demonstrates that systems for monitoring and improving record-keeping were operating effectively in this area.

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 spoke about working in partnership with other professionals such as GP’s, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Whilst waiting for assessments to take place staff requested any information regarding what may need to be implemented as an interim measure.

The provider ensured important information was recorded and accessible to staff, supporting continuity of care and helping services work together effectively around people's needs.

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.

During this assessment, we found the provider had effective systems in place to promote learning and continuous improvement. Processes were established to ensure lessons were identified and shared following incidents, concerns, and examples of good practice, supporting ongoing service development.

The registered manager worked collaboratively with health and social care professionals to ensure people received coordinated, person-centred care that met their needs.

The registered manager maintained an open and transparent culture, supported by an open-door policy that encouraged people, relatives and staff to raise concerns, provide feedback and share suggestions. This approach helped to ensure the service remained responsive and was continually informed by the views of those using and working within it.

The service also had a current and comprehensive business continuity plan in place to support the safe and effective delivery of care in the event of unforeseen circumstances.