Aspire Hub 2

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.

Feedback from staff about the service culture was mixed. One staff member commented,“I love my job and feel well supported.” Another said, “I feel Aspire does care, but it has been difficult without a good regular staff team.” In contrast, another staff member stated, “We have staff but because we have such a high number of agency staff, it puts a strain on the regular staff.”

People supported spoke highly of their staff team which reflected a positive culture. One person told us, “[Name] is my friend, they help me to get my shopping and make my tea, I also go out with them, and we have a day’s shopping.”

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 openness and honesty.

We spoke with members of staff and the management team who talked passionately about their role, wanting to make a difference in people’s lives and demonstrating the culture and values of the service and we observed this in practice. Staff we spoke with supported that the management team had the skills, knowledge and capability to lead the team.

Throughout the assessment the management and staff teams were honest and open.

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

People and staff spoke positively about the culture within the service and described open and supportive relationships with both colleagues and the management team. People were encouraged to share their views and concerns, and staff told us they felt confident approaching management to discuss issues affecting the service. Current policies and procedures were in place to support staff to raise concerns and speak up when required.

One staff member told us, “We have a really open and close management team where we can discuss things. The team can be a little strained at times. Aspire is going through a lot of changes right now and I think morale has struggled a bit lately.”

Staff acknowledged that the ongoing management restructure had created some uncertainty for some members of the workforce. However, staff confirmed that changes were being communicated appropriately and that opportunities were available for staff to discuss any concerns and receive support throughout the process.

The open culture within the service enabled people and staff to raise concerns without fear of reprisal, helping leaders to identify issues promptly and take action where improvements were needed.

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.

The provider had appropriate policies in place to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, and staff received training to support an inclusive and respectful culture. Leaders spoke positively about valuing diversity and recognising the strengths, experiences and backgrounds that individuals bring to the workforce. The service promoted equality through established policies, regular staff forums focused on equality, diversity and inclusion, and dedicated wellbeing initiatives, including access to mental health first aiders. Staff were encouraged to discuss personal wellbeing and anti-discriminatory practice during supervision, helping to foster an open culture where diversity was respected and individual differences were valued.

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 told us they communicate risk, expectations and required improvements with staff during the induction process and probationary meeting, in staff supervision, staff meetings, communication books, and WhatsApp groups, handover documents and alerts on digital care records.

The provider had defined roles and responsibilities, and staff were clear about this. The management team understood their responsibilities in assuring good quality care and the governance processes used to support this which included having oversight of the digital platform used for recording people’s personal data and records.

These ways of working supported with the good governance of the service and all the people at the service receiving good quality care and support.

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.

We saw evidence of effective partnership working with external professionals to ensure people received holistic care and support that met their health, wellbeing and wider life needs. Managers and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the range of stakeholders involved in people’s care and knew how to access specialist advice and support when required. Leaders worked collaboratively with people, their representatives and staff to foster a culture that focused on enabling people to live fulfilling lives while managing risks safely.

The provider supported people to access and participate in their local communities, including attending day services and using local amenities such as shops. However, challenges relating to staffing capacity had affected opportunities for some people to engage in a wider range of activities. This meant opportunities for experiences such as holidays, day trips and other community-based outings were more limited than intended.

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 the person. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice.

The registered manager told us “Quality dashboards are shared monthly which provide data on staff training attended, customer reviews and support plan reviews, Data Barring service [DBS] status, number of supervisions completed, annual leave taken by staff etc. to monitor performance. We have undertaken a review of the manager tools in place which has led to adding these audit tools to the electronic system for ease of use, with more to come as we continue to expand our use of the electronic system and its capabilities.”