Abney & Baker (Bath) Ltd

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• 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.

Leaders, managers and staff understood the challenges and the needs of people and their communities and it was evident staff were demonstrating person-centred practice. Staff displayed transparency, equity, equality, human rights, diversity, inclusion and engagement.

Staff and leaders showed confidence in the regulations they were expected to meet. There were robust policies and procedures in place which clearly set out expectations of all employees.

For example, the provider ensured there was training in place for all staff aimed atimproving the care and support provided to people with dementia. This meant in the event of sickness people would still receive their care visit as all staff had the same level of training and were able to support people with complex health conditions.

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.

The registered manager responded to our findings with openness and transparency, and demonstrated a commitment to making prompt improvements. For example, they took immediate action to address missing capacity documentation and implemented follow-up procedures for medication errors to ensure safe and compliant practice.

Feedback from both staff and people using the service highlighted that leaders were approachable, compassionate and inclusive. Staff told us they felt valued and supported in their roles. Comments included, “I feel listened to and trusted to do my job well,” while another commented, “Management are there when you need them—they do care.” People using the service also shared that they felt the leadership team was responsive and respectful, with one person saying, “They treat us like individuals. They are more family than carers”

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

The provider had a reviewed whistleblowing policy in place, and staff were familiar with how to raise concerns. Staff told us they felt confident that any issues they reported would be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately by the registered manager. They described the manager as approachable and supportive, with one staff member saying, “when I have needed to raise anything, I have been listened to”.

People told us they were made aware of how to raise a concern when they first began using the service, and a copy of the complaints procedure was provided to them. The provider had effective systems in place to enable people to share their views about the care and support they received. Comments included: “I had to speak to managers once and I found them to be responsive. They acted on the concerns I raised about [relative’s] care”.

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 supported staff to make reasonable adjustments to their working patterns where needed, to support them to remain at work. Staff told us they felt well supported by the leadership team.

One member of staff told us, “Managers listen to me and work with me, even if something last minute comes up then they are supportive with this” and “if I cannot make a visit, my manager will go and provide that support so that no one misses out”.

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 completed a range of audits and observations of staff practice to monitor the quality of the service. This information was used to plan improvements to the service. Records showed us the registered manager had effective oversight of any accidents, incidents or near miss events. There were effective processes such as staff recruitment, induction and supervisions and a range of up-to-date policies and procedures. Additionally, regular spot checks of staff’s performance took place.

The provider was looking at using artificial intelligence (AI) to support with on-call. The manager informed us that by adopting AI, the reliance on availability of on-call staff had reduced significantly.

However, there were some areas of governance which required further development. For example, clear recording of consent, oversight of medication errors and auditing of medication. The provider acted immediately during the inspection to rectify these issues, and these were in place during our second day. However, it was too early to determine whether these improvements had been fully embedded.

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 demonstrated a commitment to working collaboratively with external professionals and local services to ensure people received person-centred care. Managers maintained regular communication with hospital discharge teams and community health professionals to support timely interventions and continuity of care. For example, when a person’s needs changed following a medical procedure, the provider coordinated with the hospital team to adjust care visits promptly. People and their relatives valued this joined-up approach. Comments included: “I had to speak to managers once and I found them to be responsive. They acted on the suggestions I raised about [relative’s] care.” and, “The provider was receptive and accessible and suggested amendments to [relative’s] care visits and timings.” This collaborative ethos helped foster trust and confidence, ensuring people felt supported and involved in decisions about their care.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and people’s individual needs so that they could deliver bespoke support to staff.

The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous learning and innovation, using feedback and best practice to improve outcomes for people.

The registered manager had recently introduced artificial intelligence (AI) to further support staff with questions that might arise during care visits. For example, staff could ask AI what to do if a client does not open their door or how best to support them with care related queries. The registered manager informed us this had reduced the dependency on on-call calls.