Astoria Homecare 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 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.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to good governance. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

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 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.

People and relatives confirmed they were happy with the care and support provided by staff. Their comments included, “The carers are really caring people who love the job and are really good at it. They treat us with real respect, and they are the people in [family member’s] life who keep them going”, and “I really like my favourite carers, and they chat to me as well as helping me.” The provider had developed a mission statement and core values for the service. The registered manager said, “As the service gets bigger, we need to grow with the right ethos, meet the regulatory requirements and give our very best to the clients we serve.” Staff told us they felt supported by the senior staff and the registered manager. Staff members commented, “Astoria supports the staff”, and “I feel supported by the team and management.”

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.

People and relatives explained they felt the service was contactable and responded to any requests or changes. They told us, “We have a good relationship with the agency. [The registered manager] is very approachable and open and helpful”, and “[The registered manager] comes in sometimes to see us. [The registered manager] is very nice. If we need to change anything we just phone the office, and they help us.”

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 they care about all the clients very well”, and “The best thing is the caring team. Thay always do extra for our clients. I would recommend them because they give good, respectful care.”

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 provider had policies and procedures for staff to raise any concerns. The registered manager explained the ways to raise concerns were discussed during training, supervision and team meetings. Staff felt they were able to raise any concerns with senior staff with a staff member saying, “They are always at work. Even if we call them after or before their office hours. They are always there to help us.”

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 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 registered manager said, “This empowers the client as well as if they are being accompanied by a care worker to a religious or cultural setting who shared that background, they feel more confident.” Some people and relatives told us a staff member who visited them spoke their preferred language. The registered manager explained that they supported staff by taking into account religious and cultural festivals when planning rotas.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles and systems of accountability but some aspects of governance required further improvement.

At the last assessment we found that the quality assurance systems were not robust enough to

demonstrate service improvement was effectively managed. At this assessment, we found that improvements had been made. However, we identified some additional improvements to some records relating to actions following incidents, consent to care and checks needed to take place. The provider had processes to monitor the quality of the care provided which included a range of audits, staff supervisions, team meetings, spot checks and obtaining feedback from people and staff. There was a contingency plan in place to provide guidance on how to the service could continue in case of an emergency. The provider had processes to ensure people’s personal information was protected in line with current legislation.

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 provider worked with local authority and healthcare providers including GP’s, district nurses and occupational therapists. They also worked with independent advocates to support people.

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.

Staff completed a range of training courses, including the care certificate, to develop their skills and knowledge to meet people’s care needs. The provider had policies and procedures which were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected current legislation and best practice. The policies were discussed with staff during training and meetings. People and staff completed regular surveys to provide feedback on the quality of the care provided. Other checks carried out to monitor the care provided included spot checks and reviews of care where people were asked for feedback on their care. Actions identified from the investigation of incidents, accidents and complaints were shared with staff to support them to provide safe and effective care. The registered manager told us they kept up to date with best practice through attending provider forums organised by the local council, Skills for Care and online registered managers forums. A social care professional told us, “Management is responsive, open to feedback, and actively engages with external agencies to drive continuous improvement and positive outcomes.”