Essex and Suffolk Quality Care Ltd

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 requires improvement. At this assessment improvements had been made, and the rating has changed to 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 vision and values of the service were clear and promoted people’s rights, choices and independence. The registered manager and staff actively sought and acted on the views of people and their relatives through their visits, reviews and telephone calls. A person told us, “I have spoken to the manager, and they are very approachable.” A family member said, “I do know the manager and they are friendly and responsive.” A staff member said, “Nice people who run it, very helpful and understanding.” Another staff member told us, “I like working for the agency because the management are very good and helpful.”

Some improvements had been made to the shared direction of the service such as the involvement of staff in discussions about good practice and improvements. However, the provider did not always make clear management decisions. For example, the provider wanted to offer services to people with specific needs, despite the registered manager not having the skills and experience to meet their needs. There was no structured planning process or records of management decisions to show the agreed and collaborative approach to service development. After the site visit, the provider revisited their decision and provided clarification as to the services they would offer, providing an up-to-date statement of purpose.

The registered manager had the skills and experience to lead effectively. They were open, honest and inclusive in their working approach. They had learnt lessons from the previous assessment and had been active in making the necessary improvements to ensure people and staff had a quality service to use and work for. The registered manager had received a range of professional support and advice regarding the improvements needed to the service. They told us, “I learnt a great deal especially about risk management and undertaking best interest assessments and this has improved care planning and assessments.” However, they were not always proactive in seeking support and knowledge from local and nationally recognised resources and support systems such as the local authority’s provider resources and Skills for Care available to them in the development of their role and responsibilities

Staff told us there was a good system in place for support and advice when they needed it, during office and out of hours. A staff member told us, “Communication across the service is better, more efficient and us staff know what is going on more. It does help when things are joined up.” Another staff member said, “[Registered manager] does regular supervisions and I feel I am always able to be honest with them and they will endeavour to act on any worries or concerns I may have.”

There were systems to gather, record and act on the views and concerns of people and their relatives. Compliments about staff were shared with them to show they were appreciated. A system to nominate staff on a monthly basis was commencing in June 2025 and each month a staff member would receive a token of gratitude for their contribution in their caring role.

The provider’s whistleblowing policies and procedures had been updated and available to staff. Staff told us they felt able to speak up and their voice would be heard. They were able to raise concerns and share information about their role and responsibilities. A staff member told us, “I feel very supported and listened to in the workplace. They show understanding and plan my rota accordingly. I also know that if I have any questions/queries any of the office staff are happy to help.” Another staff member said, “[Registered manager] is supportive of the work I do. I can speak up and have spoken up about a few things, and I trust them to make it right.” A third said, “I have no trouble in speaking up. I also believe it is encouraged.”

The registered manager had developed an inclusive workforce and recognized the value of diversity amongst the team. There were enough staff who worked well together, with flexible rota and working arrangements. Staff members’ individual needs and circumstances were considered, and any reasonable adjustments made to ensure there were no barriers to them working for the service. A staff member said, “I have no issues with the equal opportunities available at Essex and Suffolk Quality Care.” Another staff member told us, “I feel comfortable working with everyone, and people are respectful. I am not treated any differently to anyone else.”

The provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion. For example, staff recruitment was carried out in line with their policy and good practice in relation to equality and diversity and staff told us the provider was flexible with their rota to accommodate their childcare needs. Staff had undertaken training to raise their awareness and knowledge. A staff member told us, “My most recent training was diversity and human rights. I found it quite interesting as I brushed up on what I already knew.”

Improvements had been made to the governance and management of the service since the last assessment. The provider had installed an electronic management system to provide better oversight of the service. This included care assessment and planning, medicine management, and administration and monitoring of rota and visit times. Staff had an application on their phones to access up to date information about people’s needs and circumstance. The live system provided information about staff rotas, when and where staff were on their visits and, any issues regarding staff being late or not available, could be picked up quickly. This had resulted in a reduction on late or missed calls and made communication more efficient. People reported better outcomes as a result.

A quality assurance process was in place to monitor, audit and provide oversight of the quality of the service. This was effective in identifying shortfalls in the service. The audits included care plans, checks of medicines management, missed and late calls and rota arrangements, safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents, notifications and complaints. Assessments of people's capacity and best interest assessments were completed so that care and support could be provided appropriately. Checks of staff recruitment files were still to be incorporated into the monthly audits and the registered manager confirmed these would be prioritised as part of the ongoing monitoring of the service.

Lessons had been learnt and information cascaded to staff. Additional training was made available when required. The registered manager made statutory notifications and safeguarding alerts to the local authority as required. A partner told us, “A lot of improvement has been made for the better but needs embedding and managed well.” The registered manager understood their responsibility under duty of candour to be open and honest and investigate when things went wrong. Sustaining new systems and processes would need to be monitored effectively to ensure they were well maintained and met the developing needs of the service.

Staff feedback was positive about the management and support they received to do their job effectively. Staff understood their role and responsibilities. A staff member told us, “It's a good place to work because we get a lot of trust put in us. We are left under our own initiative to a degree, but you know that support is there when needed.”

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, by sharing information and learning with partners. They worked effectively with health and social care professionals to get the best care for people they were supporting, such as identifying when people’s needs changed or increased. They were responsive when people were discharged or were admitted to hospital. Staff enabled people to access their local communities to enjoy the facilities available.

The provider had been open to advice, support and learning in making the improvements to the service. The investment in the implementation of an electronic system enabled the registered manager to have access to real time information and live data. This helped to audit records and documentation quickly and easily. The electronic call monitoring system whereby staff logged in and out of a person’s home was an example of this.

Staff were encouraged to develop their skills and learning so they could provide the most appropriate care for people using up to date best practice guidelines. Training had been provided online and face to face by external trainers. Staff were involved in discussing good practice, trialling new ways of working, analysing success and implementing new systems. People had better outcomes as the service met their needs and was more effectively managed. People and relatives told us they would recommend the service to others.