Norwich

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 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 registered manager had clear aims for the service and was committed to improving the quality of people’s lives. There was an open and transparent culture of continuous improvement at the service.
The registered manager had a development plan in place, which outlined areas which had been identified as requiring further work. This was a collaborative document which was used amongst the senior team to review and monitor progress, which supported a whole service approach to developing the standards of care delivered to people.
 

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 and managers at the service had the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience to be able to lead successfully. We spoke with staff who told us the registered manager was approachable and professional. Staff were confident in their leadership and spoke very highly of the support they received.
The registered manager and the leadership team had a true understanding of the challenges and complexities the staff team faced when working. One staff member told us “[Registered Manager] really understands the daily challenges that all staff come up against”.
 

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.
Most staff and people receiving care told us they would feel confident to raise concerns, and that action would be taken in response. There was a whistleblowing policy in place, and staff had access to guidance should they need to raise concerns outside of the service.
One person receiving care told us “I see [senior staff member] from the office, she comes to see me regularly to see how it’s going. They are a nice bunch of people, and I am so happy with them all”.

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.
Most staff at the service felt they were treated fairly. We saw evidence of staff feedback collected by the service, which generally was very positive. Furthermore, most feedback we received from staff directly was very positive. Some staff told us they would like to study additional vocational qualifications. We saw in staff supervision records that additional training, including formal vocational qualifications, were discussed and offered regularly.
Where staff had religious or cultural needs, these were respected and accommodations made accordingly.
There was a diverse workforce, where people’s individuality was embraced and celebrated. The benefits to having a broad workforce was used to enhance the care people received. One person’s relative told us “We have carers of all shapes and sizes, males and female, and we have some laughs with them. [Relative] is happy with them”.
 

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 management team had systems and processes in place to support operational oversight . An electronic system was used to monitor care delivery, alongside spot checks within people’s home to make sure tasks were completed as per peoples care plans, and that people were satisfied.
A suite of audits were in place which were mostly effective at identifying issues and driving improvement. The registered manager and leaders at the service were aware of their responsibilities and worked together to ensure the service operated to a high standard.
 

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 service had founded a community social club for people receiving care to attend. The aim of this was to reduce the risk of social isolation that people living at home with care needs can experience. Staff ran this voluntarily in their own time. The registered manager gave us examples of how they had encouraged people to attend and made it as accessible for them to do so through arranging transport and meals. This meant people who may usually face barriers to meeting friends could access the community and socialise more easily.
 

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 was keen to explore and adopt new technologies and software to streamline and simplify their practice. The registered manager held learning and innovation in high regard and was passionate about driving improvements at the service. Where things went wrong, or the service faced difficulties, they were open and transparent and took appropriate action to rectify shortfalls. For example, the service had recently worked with the local authority quality team during a period of staffing shortages to ensure people continued to receive a good level of care.