Aims Homecare Limited - Leatherhead

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, 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.

There was a positive culture at the service. Feedback from people, relatives, staff and professionals was positive. One professional commented, “I have mainly found this to be a very good agency, care staff are very caring, for some patients, have really gone the extra mile!”

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.

Staff spoke positively about the leadership of the service. Comments included, “The management team is approachable, supportive, and responsive to staff concerns” and “I have always been supported and helped when I needed it.” One relative commented, “My main contact at AIMS – [manager] - is excellent and always responds to my emails extremely quickly.”

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

People and relatives felt able to raise any concerns with management. The manager told us, “We operate an open door, and staff can call or come in at any time.”

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.

Staff said the manager was flexible around their personal lives. Comments included, “I had days off when I asked for vacations as well.”

The manager told us, “We have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, and we take it seriously rather than treating it as a formality.” The manager gave examples of reasonable adjustments made for staff such as changing a staff members schedule to avoid manual handling.

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, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. The manager had good oversight of the service. A range of audits and governance systems took place to monitor the quality of the service. Staff felt the service was well managed.

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.

Leaders collaborated with a range of services for improvement, such as the local authority provider forums, Skills for Care and Surrey Care Association. We received positive feedback from professionals who told us the service worked effectively with 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 manager told us, “We contribute to the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set through Skills for Care, which lets us compare our pay, turnover and training against other Surrey providers rather than guessing.” The service collaborated with a range of services and was committed to the ongoing development of the service.