Dalesview Partnership Supported Living

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 changed to 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 96 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

Staff at all levels prioritised safe, high-quality, compassionate care as detailed in the ‘company ethos’ and reiterated in detailed and robust staff inductions. This was evident throughout conversations with staff, relatives and partners. A staff member said, “Dalesview’s ethos is ‘our actions show that we care’. I do believe we do that very well. The staff invest in [people], promote independence and deliver an excellent quality of care.” Another added, “I love that we give people a great life. Dalesview does it’s best to give clients a really good experience of life; stimulated, safe, happy and physically cared for.”

Staff and leaders demonstrated an extremely positive, compassionate listening culture that promoted trust and understanding between them, relatives and people using the service, and were focused on learning and improvement. The service actively encouraged open communication and provided regular opportunities for people and relatives to give feedback on a range of topics; being responsive to concerns raised and ideas shared. A relative said, “I raised a concern as I felt [person] was being fed more convenience foods. Once I raised the issue it was rapidly dealt with, and I am happy [person] now has a well-balanced, nutritious diet.”

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.

High-quality leadership was sustained through safe, effective and inclusive recruitment and succession planning. The registered manager, deputy managers and senior managers had all worked at Dalesview for many years, having been promoted internally. They were provided with ongoing support to undertake enhanced training and qualifications; to continuously improve their knowledge, skills and capabilities. Similar professional developmental opportunities were made available to staff throughout the service. This helped leaders and staff at the service understand risks within the service and ensure they were well managed.

Throughout the inspection, leaders demonstrated an excellent understanding of the service and the people they supported. Staff confirmed they led by example and modelled inclusive behaviours. A staff member said, “[Leaders] are capable and compassionate. They are really person centred. It’s all about the service users, their experiences, their health etc.” Another added, “[Leaders] are knowledgeable and experienced, they lead by example.”

The nominated individual was available to provide support to staff and leaders and had regular oversight of the service. The registered manager explained, “We have lots of support from leaders and the nominated individual. They are very open, and I feel well supported. It’s a family run company.” A nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The service had a whistleblowing policy and leaders actively promoted staff empowerment, to drive improvement. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and were confident their voices would be heard. A staff member explained, “I feel listened to, valued and heard. I see gaps and develop programmes to fill them, involving the senior managers. They are always encouraging.”

There was a culture of honesty and speaking up and staff could raise concerns in team meetings, supervisions and surveys. Staff confirmed lessons were shared and acted upon. A staff member told us, “We have always been told to bring up concerns in supervisions or you have the option to go to the care coordinator or a manager at any time. Dalesview also send out annual surveys, we’ve just had one. Things do change as a result of feedback, not all at once but the majority does get done.”

A staff newsletter had been shared and included a summary of the employee survey results from 2024. Whilst the majority of feedback was positive, constructive comments were acknowledged and a response provided. As a result of feedback additional training and support around engaging people in activities was offered, supervision and appraisal processes had improved, and the frequency of staff wages had been reviewed.

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.

Leaders made reasonable adjustments to support staff to carry out their roles well and there were systems in place to agree formal workplace adjustments. For example, consideration was given to pregnant staff around moving and handling tasks, and specialist equipment provided for staff with dyslexia. A staff member said, “HR and care supervisors worked hand in hand with me to support my health needs.”

Leaders took action to continually review and improve the culture of the organisation. Staff, including international staff told us they felt well treated and appropriate systems were in place to ensure the service was inclusive. A staff member explained, “I feel listened to, and I feel secure working for Dalesview. Being [an international staff member], I can always rely on them with any issues either work related or not related to work.” Other staff gave examples of how they had supported their international colleagues with communication, understanding and practical skills such as cooking; evidencing a positive and inclusive culture. A staff member told us, “An international staff member was struggling language wise (with specific terminology), and other staff spent a lot of time explaining things. We have also had them cook their own national dishes in the past which was nice.”

The staff handbook included details about workforce equality, and staff confirmed their rights were upheld, including their right to flexible working.

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.

There were clear and effective governance and management arrangements, and staff understood the roles and responsibilities of colleagues at different levels. A staff member said, “Yes I understand the different roles.” Another added, “[The service] is well run and the care the service users get in is very good.”

There were thorough systems and processes to ensure good oversight of the service. Managers carried out spot checks and monthly audits, and senior managers undertook in-depth audits annually.

However, data was not always robust. For example, information in support plans and protocols was not always consistent and some records relating to medicines did not include the necessary detail. See the ‘safe’ section of this report for more details.

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.

There was regular proactive engagement with people, their relatives, partners and other services; and a strong focus on supporting people to thrive, develop skills and enjoy new experiences. Staff explained how people were supported to access and intergrate into their community; by attending local churches and social groups, and taking part in community events.

Staff and leaders worked in partnership with others to support care provision, service development and joined up care. For example, taking a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding how a person communicated their different needs, emotions or distress had resulted in positive outcomes. A relative said, “I know there has been input from the learning disability team when [person] developed behaviours which were not typical for them.”

The service benefitted from sharing resources such as the lifestyle team, HR department and minibuses with Dalesview’s residential services; and the registered manager attended local provider meetings to share learning.

In response to staffing issues within the health and social care sector, the service had built close links with colleges and schools to promote careers in care. They led employability sessions, attended recruitment fairs and facilitated work experience placements. A member of the human resources (HR) team was also involved in setting up a recruitment and training forum with other local health and social care providers.

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.

Staff were supported to prioritise time to develop their skills around improvement and innovation. Staff confirmed the service supported requests for additional training and actively encouraged them to share ideas. A staff member spoke about a garden project they were leading, in which they had secured an external grant. Another told us, “If staff suggest any ideas, the service is very enthusiastic, especially if it involves the service users.” Leaders acted as ‘champions’ in different areas, and a message had been sent out requesting a volunteer for a new communication champion role. Champions shared learning, offered support and signposted teams to resources; to improve the safety and quality of care.

One of the roles of the lifestyle team and communication lead was to identify new ways of working or initiatives; to improve people’s outcomes and quality of life. For example, quick response (QR) codes had been introduced which enabled staff to access short videos directly via an electronic link. These had been successful in promoting learning and sharing information with staff. The key-worker role was also under review, to ensure people received more consistent and positive outcomes.

The service had strong external relationships that supported learning and improvement. The service’s most recent ‘Investors in People’ report celebrated gold accreditation and acknowledged the “great number” of improvements made by the organisation.

The service had recently invested in several improvements and new initiatives, and it was evident throughout inspection there was a strong emphasis on continuous development.