Helping Hands Bromley

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 68 (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 provider promoted a positive and inclusive culture centred on kindness, respect and supporting people to live well in their own homes and communities. These values were embedded through staff induction, training, team meetings, the staff handbook and regular newsletters.

Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the provider’s vision and how it influenced their day-to-day practice. One staff member told us, “The values are on our badge – Kindness and helping people live well at home.” Staff consistently described their role as supporting people to remain independent, achieve positive outcomes and receive compassionate, person-centred care.

People and their relatives spoke positively about the care they received and the attitude of staff. People, relatives and staff told us they would recommend the service to others. One relative said, “I have recommended them to a few peers. They are diligent and they meet his needs very well.”

Leadership arrangements were not always stable, and frequent changes in management had affected continuity and communication within the service.

At the time of our assessment, there was no registered manager in post, as the existing manager was working their notice period. A newly appointed area manager was overseeing the service and planned to register with CQC on an interim basis while a permanent registered manager was recruited.

People and relatives told us that frequent changes in management over recent years had affected continuity and communication. One person said, “I understand another manager is starting. They change ever so quickly which is not good for us and I’m sure it’s not good for the carers too.” A relative commented, “They seem to have problems keeping managers and the office staff. There have been 4 managers since we started using the service. Sometimes we don't know who to contact. The office phone rings and there is no answer sometimes.”

Staff also expressed uncertainty about the management structure. One staff member said, “The manager is leaving today. I don't know who the new manager is. It has been so hard with the changes. You get used to one manager and soon they leave and you start all over.” Another staff member told us, “We have had a lot of managers; they seem to be changing them quickly. It has been hard getting to know managers and how they work. It has been difficult in the last couple of months.”

These views indicated that leadership changes had created uncertainty for some people, relatives and staff, and had impacted confidence in management arrangements. We discussed these concerns with the area manager, who acknowledged the challenges and provided evidence of recent communications sent to staff, people and relatives explaining the management changes and the measures being put in place to support continuity during the transition period.

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

Staff were aware of their responsibilities to report concerns and knew how to access the provider’s whistleblowing and speaking up procedures.

Staff told us they felt confident raising concerns and understood the routes available to escalate issues when needed. One staff member said, “I will contact the Head Office to raise my concerns. As there are frequent changes in the management team, I will go straight up.” Another staff member told us, “I know my right to speak up, but haven't had to. I also encourage others to do so if they confide in me.”

These comments demonstrated that staff understood their right to speak up and challenge poor practice.

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 completed equality and diversity training and told us they felt respected and supported regardless of their background or personal circumstances.

Staff spoke positively about the diversity within the care team and the support they received from colleagues. One staff member said, “Diversity in the team is great. We respect and support each other. We work well together.” Another staff member highlighted the importance of flexible working arrangements, telling us, “The company allows flexibility, which is important to me as it enables me to continue to work and manage my personal commitments.”

The provider supported staff to balance their work and personal responsibilities through flexible working practices, helping to promote equality and wellbeing within the workforce.

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.

Frequent changes in the management team had created uncertainty for some staff, people and their relatives. One staff member told us, “Communication is key and it is not great. I don’t know who to go to at the moment. They are not good at returning calls.” Relatives were positive about the care provided by frontline staff but raised concerns about the stability of the management and office team. One relative said, “The care staff are kind and knowledgeable but there are issues in the management and admin side that need sorting out.”

The provider completed a range of audits and had a service improvement plan in place. However, governance systems had not always identified or addressed all areas requiring improvement. We found incidents were not always recorded promptly and some care notes lacked sufficient detail to demonstrate care had been delivered in line with people's care plans. For example, records did not always confirm when specific care instructions, such as administering medicines before meals, had been followed.

These issues meant the provider could not always demonstrate effective oversight of record keeping and care delivery.

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.

Staff regularly worked with district nurses, GPs, other care providers, families and healthcare professionals to share information and ensure people’s changing needs were met effectively.

The provider also engaged with the wider community and local organisations to support recruitment, development and awareness of care services. This included working with job centres, local college and universities to provide work experience opportunities and attract new staff into the care sector. The provider also worked with organisations to ensure people had access to equipment needed to support their safety, wellbeing and independence.

Leaders told us they attended and organised community events and roadshows to engage with local people and partner organisations.

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.

Systems were in place to identify learning opportunities, share best practice and drive service improvements across the organisation.

The provider had designated Dementia Champions within branches to promote good practice and increase staff knowledge in supporting people living with dementia. Leaders also had opportunities to work across different branches, enabling them to learn from one another, share ideas and provide additional support where needed.

Staff had access to a wide range of training and development opportunities to help them build their skills and knowledge. Lessons learned from incidents, complaints and specific cases were shared with staff to improve practice and reduce the risk of similar issues occurring again.

The provider had a business continuity plan in place and maintained a service improvement plan to identify areas for development and monitor progress. These arrangements helped ensure the service remained focused on continuous improvement, learning and delivering positive outcomes for people.