Metropolitan Care Services Limited

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 the same. 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 provider effectively promoted their shared direction and culture throughout the service. This was evident in the staff recruitment process, ongoing supervisions, spot checks, and regular staff meetings.

The registered manager demonstrated a strong commitment to the provider’s culture and values, consistently promoting and reinforcing these within their teams to maintain a cohesive and person-centred approach to care.

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.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our assessment there was a registered managers in post.

Staff were supported and would recommend the service. Their comments included, “It’s a good company to work for as I have had good experience”, and “The best thing is the team. They are always available if we need their help.”

People and relatives confirmed they knew how to raise any questions or concerns with the provider. Where they had raised an issue, they told us their concerns were responded to and resolved in a timely manner

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

The registered manager had created a culture where staff felt able to speak up and share any concerns about the service and the people they supported. The registered manager was passionate about ensuring staff felt empowered to raise concerns and document incidents appropriately. The registered manager told us there was always a lesson to be learnt, and they tried to share this with staff to ensure they felt able to be open and honest. Staff told us they felt valued by leaders.

The provider had policies in place in respect of whistleblowing and safeguarding and staff had access to these.The provider had systems and processes in place to foster a positive culture where people felt that they could speak up and have their voices heard.

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.

Staff felt they were treated fairly by the registered manager and worked well with them as a team. Staff completed training in equality and diversity and understood what it meant.The registered manager explained that they reviewed the demographics of the local community and factored this into their recruitment. They told us they tried to match people to staff members with a similar cultural background.

The provider had appropriate policies in place including lone working policy and flexible working policy which supported staff who may need specific working arrangements to support their wellbeing, work and homelife balance.

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.

Robust quality assurance processes were in place to drive continuous improvement. These included regular audits of care plans, staff performance, training compliance, and adherence to policies and procedures. Feedback from service users, families, and staff was systematically collected through surveys, reviews, and welfare visits. Management analysed this feedback to identify trends, inform action plans, and monitor outcomes.

Regular spot checks were completed to ensure people receive good care and staff wore the appropriate uniform and PPE. Staff told us they received regular spot checks to ensure they were attending on time and providing the correct care and support. One relative said, “They [staff] do sometimes come out to do spot checks.”

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. The service worked well with people, families and professionals.

The registered manager was able to network and contact external organisations, such as the local authority, for advice, guidance and developments within the health and social care sector. They also worked in partnership with healthcare and social care professionals to address concerns around people's care or changes in their needs.

The provider had systems in place to ensure learning happened and changes to care were implemented when needed, to support good outcomes for people.

Systems and processes supported ongoing learning and development, including regular training sessions, team meetings, and supervision for both staff and managers.Feedback from people, relatives, and staff was actively sought through surveys, with responses used to inform service development.

Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff and were regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with current legislation and best practice. During our site visit, the registered manager responded promptly to feedback, including updating care plans and ensuring monitoring records accurately reflected the care provided.