Whispers Care Solutions 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 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.

Theprovider 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 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.

The provider had clear visions and values, set out in their statement of purpose. They defined the range and complexity of needs the service could safely support. Where referrals did not align with the service model, the provider clearly communicated why a placement would not be suitable or safe for the individual or staff.

Staff told us leaders were positive, supportive and highly visible within the service. Comments included, “If I want support, they (senior staff) are just there. They are really good, and I am very happy with them” and “I have always felt very supported not just by the management but also the rest of the employees.”

Staff were enthusiastic and motivated in their roles and demonstrated a strong understanding of the provider’s values. They said they were proud to work for the service. They felt their feedback was listened to and that they were kept well‑informed about relevant updates and changes. Comments included, “In terms of the organisation and management of Whispers, I have been extremely impressed by the efficiency and also the adaptability of the team. Everyone knows their specific duties and who to report to” and “This job is so rewarding. The teamwork is amazing and seeing the different we make to people’s lives makes me feel happy to come to work.”

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The leadership team had clearly defined roles and responsibilities. They maintained effective oversight of the service through structured and defined working practices. The provider operated an inter‑departmental structure, with specific teams responsible for defined operational and strategic functions. For example, there were separate teams of staff overseeing domiciliary care and complex care packages. There was clear communication and accountability between departments, which helped support senior staff work effectively in their roles.

Staff told us leaders were professional, approachable and positive role models. People also gave positive feedback, stating senior staff were accessible and actively involved in the day‑to‑day running of the service. Leaders promoted a ‘hands‑on’ approach by keeping their care training up to date and working alongside staff when needed. They had an in-depth understanding of people’s individual care needs and maintained effective relationships with people’s wider support networks.

Senior leaders contributed to both operational and strategic decision‑making. They understood the service’s strengths and challenges and provided support in areas such as quality improvement, regulatory compliance and engagement with people using the service.

The provider invested in senior staff’s development, offering training in management and role‑specific subjects, including additional qualifications in health and social care and leadership. This helped to ensure senior staff had the skills and knowledge required.

The registered manager demonstrated a clear understanding of their regulatory responsibilities, including the submission of statutory notifications. The registered manager and senior staff understood their duty to report concerns to local authorities and CQC. This helped to ensure the service met regulatory and wider stakeholder requirements.

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

Staff told us they felt comfortable raising issues with senior staff and were confident their concerns would be addressed. were confident their concerns would be taken seriously. They said senior leaders, the registered manager and senior staff listened to them and made them feel their feedback was valued.

Policies and procedures on whistleblowing were in place and clearly outlined how and to whom concerns could be raised. The provider had internal HR support functions, which helped ensure fair and equitable processes were in place if staff raised concerns.

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 policies and procedures to promote workforce equality and diversity. Staff told us they were treated fairly and received the support they needed in their roles. The provider made reasonable adjustments to meet individual circumstances, including adapting training methods so staff could complete required learning around existing work or life commitments. This supported timely completion of training with minimal impact on staff’s wider lives. Reasonable adjustments were also made for staff with health or medical needs.

The provider celebrated workforce diversity and took a structured, phased approach to recruiting staff through sponsorship routes. This allowed them to identify and respond to the specific support needs of staff relocating from overseas and apply these lessons to future recruitment. They also took steps to support staff who had been displaced from other providers, helping ensure a fair and inclusive working environment.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care and support.

Improvements had been made following our previous inspection. Effective governance processes were in place to oversee quality and safety. Senior staff carried out live monitoring of care and took prompt action when issues were identified. This monitoring included care call times, visit durations, completion of key tasks and medicines administration. Senior staff conducted additional audits of care plans, care notes and medicines records. This helped ensure care was delivered as planned and met people’s needs.

Senior leaders completed thematic audits across the service, reviewing incidents, accidents, complaints, compliments, training compliance, safeguarding and other key areas. There was strong oversight of compliance, and relevant departments received clear information about outstanding actions. Senior leaders and senior staff met regularly to coordinate work and maintain a shared understanding of key issues, priorities and challenges. This included daily huddles, departmental meetings, clinical meetings and weekly senior leadership meetings.

Information from audits was used to share learning and promote good practice. This took place through regular staff meetings, supervision sessions and targeted training in response to identified concerns or gaps. The provider’s internal training team delivered additional training promptly when required.

An internal governance team supported policy development and ensured policies and procedures were up to date and reflective of best practice. Regular quality assurance checks were completed, and any issues identified were addressed promptly. People and staff were asked for their views, and feedback was consistently positive.

The provider had effective information governance systems were in place to ensure people’s personal information was securely handled and stored safely.

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 well with partner organisations and actively engaged with its local community to improve outcomes for people using the service. Professionals told us the provider had fostered effective and positive working relationships with their teams. They told us staff participated and contributed when monitoring and reviewing people’s care. Staff described effective communication with external professionals, ensuring a coordinated approach and a shared understanding of intended outcomes of care.

Senior leaders participated in local provider networks and initiatives, sharing learning and good practice to promote positive change at the service.

The provider focused on continuous learning and improvement across the organisation.

The provider promoted a culture of reflection and continuous improvement. They maintained an ongoing service improvement plan that captured findings from audits, feedback from people, staff and professionals, and operational developments. Actions were allocated to senior staff, and progress was routinely reviewed at governance meetings. This ensured clear accountability and timely completion of improvements.

The provider acted on feedback and used it to drive service development and improvement. This included feedback from people, staff and professionals. For example, they had recently reviewed care plans to ensure they were as least restrictive as possible and aligned with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They had also amended the format of staff refresher training following feedback. Staff told us the revised training improved their learning experience and outcomes. The provider’s action plan following our previous inspection had been effective and the required improvements had been made.

The provider had identified where changes could be made to operational systems, to help improve their oversight of the service. At the time of inspection, they were migrating to a new electronic care planning system. The registered manager told us the enhanced functionality would improve risk assessment, care planning and live monitoring. Clear transition plans ensured the service continued to operate safely during this change.

Senior staff held regular meetings to share learning and good practice. They discussed real‑life examples of what worked well and where improvements were needed. This helped to embed shared learning across the staff team.