Care Assist 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 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,strategyand 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.

There was a positive culture at thesupported living settingswe visited. People we spoke to enjoyed living at the services. They felt their needs were considered andtheygoton well with staff. A person commented, “It is a good place to live, we have nice relationships with everyone.” Staff were supported and enjoyed working there. A staff member said, “I am very happythe manager ishelpful;we work as a team to encourage independence and support people.”

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,experienceand credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity,opennessand honesty.

The registered manager was experienced and had worked for theprovider indifferent rolesbefore becoming the manager. They had a qualification in care management and worked closely with other managers in the organisation to share ideas andinformation.They oversaw theleadership of team leaders acrossservicesand wereavailable when needed.

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

People and relatives were encouraged to speak up, and they told us they felt able to do so. A relative said, “I would raise concerns if needed.” Another relative told us,“Ifeel able to raise concerns with the manager.”

Staffwe spoke totold us they felt confident they could raise any issues with theteamleaders,and they would besupported to do so. The provider had a whistle blowing policy in place, which detailed how staff could speak up about any concerns they had about the service.

Systems were in place to ensure people who spoke up were supported andthe staffwe spoke with told us they felt confident to raise any concerns with the manager or senior management.

The provider conducted meetings and surveys,which gave people using the service the opportunity to provide feedback on the running of the service.

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.

All staff completed training on equality and diversity. Staff were provided with equal opportunities to trainings and to achieve professional qualifications.

The provider had a policy on equality and diversity to guide practice in this area. Staff told us they were treated fairly by their employer. Staff recruitment was carried out in line with good practice.

Staff and people using the service celebrated different festivals andspecial events.On the day of our visit,a person using one of the services was being supported to celebrate a cultural eventrelevant to their background.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and delivergood quality, sustainable care,treatmentand support. They acted on the best information about risk,performanceand outcomes, and shared this securely with others whenappropriate.

A range of audits were completed including an audit,which reviewed the environment, health and safety, staffing,complaintsand safeguarding. Feedback was obtained from people living at thesupported living serviceand their relatives. The provider had a contingency plan in place to ensure care could be provided in case of an emergency occurring at thesupported living settings. The provider had systems to ensure people’s personal information was managed securely in line with current legislation.

The managerunderstood anddemonstratedcompliance with regulatory requirements. They also understood their responsibility to provide honest information, suitable support and to apply duty of candour whereappropriate.

The managerhad a range of staff championswho tooktheleadon areas such asmedicine,health and safetywhich enabledstaff to be part of theaudit process andensure any concerns were picked up and taken forward early.

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’s processes promoted andmaintainedgood working relationships with other external healthcare services to provide integrated care that met people’s support needs and enabled them to keep healthy. Staff reported any health care concerns to the relevant professionals, and management. They also supported people to access community-based health care professionals, such as dentists and to refer themselves to health care services, such as their GP, tomaintainand promote continuing independence through joined up healthcare.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience,outcomeand quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

The managersand staff teamsregularly metto discuss how well the service was meeting different standards of care. They reflected onareas such assuccess stories of people they provided caretoo,this meant thatpositive outcomes for peoplewere shared andbenefitedother people too.

Managers used audits and oversight toidentifyrisks and areas for improvement. They shared learning from incidents to improve practice and reduce repeat concerns.

Staff learning was supported through training and supervision. Learning from audits and external guidance was shared with staff to strengthen consistency and safety.

Leaders reviewed action plans and feedback tomonitorimprovement. They used information from staff,peopleand relatives to inform next steps and drive ongoing improvement.