Beyond Limits (Plymouth)

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 Outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained Outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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 the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The service promoted a culture which supported Right support, Right care, Right culture principles. The culture was person centred, values driven and focused on people living meaningful lives in their own homes. A relative told us how their family member had spent many years in a hospital in another part of the country before being supported by Beyond Limits in their own home, close to their family. They told us, “From how they were 14 years ago, they shine. They make their own decisions. Anything they want to do, staff help them.”

Decisions were made as close as possible to the people being supported. People and families contributed to recruitment, planning and decision making. Individual Service Design days and working policies captured people’s aspirations and preferences and informed the creation of truly bespoke support packages. Individual budgets were used to maximise choice, independence and meet people’s needs, preferences and goals. People using the service, their immediate staff team and families where appropriate, were fully involved in budgetary decision making. The Registered Manager told us, “Keeping budget decisions close to the people who know the individual best helps ensure resources are used effectively and that support remains responsive, flexible and person centred.”

People were supported to have their voices heard and to play an active role in their communities. The service promoted citizenship and inclusion by providing information and opportunities to help people understand the democratic process and exercise their right to vote. Individual working policies recorded how people wished to be supported with voting, ensuring their preferences and choices were respected.

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.

People, relatives and staff spoke highly of leaders throughout the organisation, describing them as calm, accessible, responsive and supportive. Comments included, “[Leader's name] is one in a million. Amazing. Can't praise them enough,” and “I think it's extremely well led. They lead by example.” When some relatives expressed concerns about the potential impact of a change in ownership on service provision, the Registered Manager responded proactively by providing reassurance, clear communication and opportunities for discussion. This helped to maintain trust and confidence during a period of uncertainty.

The provider had introduced a range of initiatives to develop confident, skilled and autonomous leaders who were encouraged to use their judgement, challenge the status quo and keep people at the centre of decision-making. These initiatives included weekly ‘breakfast talks' covering topics such as supporting wellbeing and building positive team cultures, leadership retreats and a course on ‘Human Leadership'. This explored the inner and outer practices of leadership, supporting leaders to develop qualities such as self-awareness, empathy and emotional intelligence and translate these into everyday actions that empowered and supported others. The Registered Manager told us, “Investing in leadership supports stronger decision making and problem solving. Effective leaders help create a positive workplace culture, while reducing staff stress and turnover.”

These initiatives, initially introduced for leaders, were being extended across the wider workforce. Leaders were supporting staff to develop confidence, take ownership of their roles and become increasingly self-directed. One member of staff described how their team operated with support from the service leader, stating, “We are self-leading. We all chip in and assign tasks, like double checking paperwork and daily notes. We all chip in to do the rota. We have meetings every couple of months. [Service leader] is extremely organised. Everything is well explained. They ask how we are getting on and come with lists of things to talk about.”

This approach had created a culture where staff felt trusted, valued and empowered to contribute to decision-making and continuous improvement. Staff consistently spoke positively about the visibility and support provided by leaders. One member of staff told us, “The Directors are always there. They always listen to the people.” The positive relationships between leaders, staff, people using the service and their relatives helped to create an open, supportive culture where people remained at the heart of everything the organisation did.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. In their Provider Information Return (PIR) they stated, “We foster a culture of openness and accountability. Our whistleblowing policy is actively promoted, and staff are encouraged to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Leaders model ethical behaviour and support a no-blame culture, where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities that promote continuous improvement and personal growth.”

The provider sought feedback from people, families and staff to help shape and improve the service. Annual surveys were carried out for people and their relatives. Feedback was often shared through ongoing informal communication, regular meetings and bespoke planning days, where people and families were encouraged to raise concerns, suggest changes and discuss what was important to them. The provider had signed up to a Family Charter, developed with input from families, which promoted values such as listening, working together, providing support and never giving up on people. People and families were also given clear information about their rights and how to raise concerns or complaints.

The provider recognised the need to continually improve engagement and was exploring more accessible ways to gather feedback, including the use of online surveys and QR codes. Staff were encouraged to share their views through annual anonymous engagement surveys conducted by an independent provider. Leaders used this feedback to understand staff experiences, support continuous improvement and strengthen staff engagement across the organisation.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, fostering a culture where staff from all backgrounds felt valued, respected and supported. Leaders proactively challenged perceptions of social care as a career, with the Employment Champion and a person supported by the service delivering presentations to colleges and job centres to attract a diverse workforce and promote social care as a meaningful profession with opportunities for progression.

The provider was particularly committed to supporting internationally recruited staff. Staff described feeling welcomed and included, with one member of staff telling us the organisation had supported them with relocation, accommodation and settling into a new country and culture. An independent review of the providers ’overseas recruitment’ processes found practices were safe, fair and effective, with internationally recruited staff speaking positively about the support they received.

Leaders further demonstrated their commitment to workforce equality and inclusion through participation in the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) South West International Recruitment Reference Group; delivery of training on equality, cultural awareness and person-centred language; and the provision of practical and emotional support for staff. Staff told us they felt included and treated equally, while regular surveys and a staff-led Culture Committee helped ensure diverse perspectives were heard and acted upon. These initiatives contributed to an inclusive culture where staff felt they belonged and were able to thrive.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-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 had effective governance systems to monitor the quality and safety of care. This included daily “Cobra” meetings, quarterly quality meetings, audits and incident reviews to monitor staffing, safety and service delivery.

A dedicated audit team provided direct oversight of the 23 teams in Plymouth supporting individuals who lived within their own community. The audit team met with each service team 4 times per year to review all aspects of the support being delivered. Audits covered areas such as medicines, health and safety and care documentation, with findings shared and acted on.

The process actively involved all staff, fostering an open and collaborative approach. The audit team recognised that each team was different and adapted this process accordingly. They explained, “It gives them a chance to talk about it. It’s more like a team effort instead of a blame culture.” This approach encouraged transparency, reflection, and continuous improvement. Workshops were delivered to support staff in understanding the auditing process. These sessions helped staff identify both good and poor practice in line with legal and regulatory requirements, while also reinforcing their individual roles and responsibilities within the governance framework.

Ongoing feedback was sought from the people being supported in a variety of formats according to their individual communication needs. The audit team created a presentation from the annual survey results, which they presented to the central leadership team. They told us, “It helps us figure out what we are doing wrong and anything we could be doing better. It will get actioned there and then.”

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 service was exceptional at developing and maintaining strong partnerships that improved outcomes and reduced inequalities for people. Leaders worked proactively with health professionals, families and external agencies to deliver coordinated and person-centred care.

Beyond Limits was recognised as a leader in the field of supporting people to move from long-stay hospitals into community settings. This expertise had been sought internationally, including hosting overseas delegates interested in learning from its approach. The registered manager told us, “Over two days, we discussed how to support people to move out of long-stay hospitals.Many people with a learning disabilityand/or mental healthneedsremainin long-stay hospital settings. They were interested in adapting aspects of our UK model to help people move back into their local communities.”

The service worked in partnership with an organisation dedicated to reviewing and improving the language used in services which support people. The focus was on moving away from clinical terminology towards language that was more human, respectful and accessible. For example, people were referred to as ‘people we support’ rather than ‘service users. To embed this approach throughout the organisation, mandatory training was introduced and delivered by an in-house trainer, helping to ensure staff consistently used language that reflected the organisation’s values of dignity, inclusion and person-centred support.

The service actively promoted opportunities for people to participate in meaningful activities, volunteering and employment within their local communities. An Employment Champion role was established to build relationships with local employers and identify opportunities tailored to people's interests, skills and aspirations. This led to the development of successful partnerships and opportunities, including placements within a café, brewery, community centre and homeless charity. The café provided a structured curriculum to help people develop vocational and transferable skills, supporting progression towards greater independence. They described their approach as, “We provide training that is supportive and trauma informed based on individually risk assessed needs whereby we can then provide real tasks in a real environment, not simulated, that focuses on a participant's strengths not their limitations through a step-by-step progression.” A relative confirmed their family member was, “Getting taught all the different skills. They enjoy the independence and meeting people.”

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 was exceptional at creating a culture of continuous learning, improvement and innovation that led to better outcomes for people. This applied across all levels of the organisation. For example, regular sessions were delivered to leaders at the service by an external facilitator, with the aim of supporting self-development, increasing self-awareness and strengthening decision making.

Beyond Limits actively contributed to sector-wide learning and development. The organisation, alongside the people it supported and their families, regularly presented at national conferences. Through these events, they shared learning and expertise on personalised support, Individual Service Funds (ISFs) and community-based models of care. This demonstrated sector leadership and a commitment to promoting innovative approaches that enabled people with complex needs to move from long-stay hospital settings into their own homes and communities, improving choice, independence and quality of life.

The provider engaged in research and evaluation through participation in studies examining the effectiveness and economic impact of its support model. Findings had been further developed into reports sharing best practice and learning across the sector.

The organisation demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement through independent reviews and audits, including safeguarding audits, overseas recruitment reviews, and cyber security penetration testing. These processes identified strengths and opportunities for improvement while providing external assurance regarding compliance and effectiveness.