Northwest Domiciliary Agency

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 82 (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.

This led to the development of a positive service development plan, setting strategic goals for the year ahead whilst encompassing individual goals such as promoting independence. A further vision for the service was to avoid restrictive practice and promote positive risk taking, for example autonomy around managing money and paying bills, which was particularly important for 1 person.

Recruitment records showed the provider considered values and ethos of potential staff, such as scenarios around protecting dignity and making unwise decisions.

The provider established a team values pledge which encouraged behaviours including ‘truthfulness’ and ‘understandable communication’.

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 were committed to driving the vision of the service forward, and had the right skills, knowledge and experience to do so. The registered manager was enthusiastic about accessing further learning opportunities to complement their knowledge and help them to make improvements. Staff commented leaders were very supportive and visible; the registered manager visited people at their home on a regular basis. Staff completed a thorough induction when they started the job.

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

The provider adopted the use of a ‘challenge charter’ which staff signed when they commenced their role. This encouraged staff to feel comfortable about challenging each other and leaders if they saw something concerning, no matter how big or small.

Staff knew how to raise concerns. Staff said the registered manager listened to them, took them seriously and acted upon anything they raised.

Supervision records showed that the consideration of speaking up or whistleblowing was an item of discussion at every meeting.

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.

There were appropriate policies to support equality and diversity. Staff did not report any concerns about this. Staff said they were supported with flexible working arrangements.

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.

Leaders had a good understanding of their role and what risks the service faced. The registered manager undertook regular audits of the service to identify any areas for improvement. The registered manager submitted statutory notifications to relevant bodies which is their legal responsibility to do so. There was a clear governance structure and processes. Incidents were monitored to identify themes and trends about issues affecting people and/or the staff. There were appropriate business continuity plans, and all policies were relevant and up to date, containing links to appropriate 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 service established links with the local community. Information was shared with similar services. Staff from local services knew people and staff well, for example lunch clubs, the local church and volunteers. People felt there was a good support network around them.

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.

The registered manager was committed to continuous improvement of the service and was involved in different approaches to do so. For example, the provider planned to establish best practice champions, and managers attended meetings to share and discuss current best practice. The provider established quality partners which meant quality audits were conducted by peers in a different service to learn from each other. People could also participate in interviews of staff and leaders.