Proxy Care Personnel

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 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.

The registered manager had built a passionate ethos within the service which was delivered by the frontline staff. One person told us, “I am happy with it all and I think the [staff] are wonderful.” A relative added, “They have a lovely ethos.”

Staff felt supported by their managers and colleagues. A staff member confirmed, “I go to the office and everything is so structured. I can make a call to the office and the coordinators and supervisors are more than happy to help. Generally, it is great.”

The registered manager understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour, which is a legal requirement for health and social care providers to be open and transparent when things go wrong. They told us, “Mistakes happen and we don’t have a blame culture.”

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 was eager to support staff to learn the skills required of the job from their own experiences. They told us, “You have to teach through your own experience. I tell them I’m still learning years later. I started as a care worker and I tell them that. There’s nothing wrong with learning. We work as 1 team, not management and the field team.” Staff confirmed this attitude to care, with one staff member telling us, “The registered manager herself has a care home background and she is very calm and listens to us. I feel she is a mother figure and even helps with our personal issues. The deputy manager has also been in the care business for a long time so comes with a lot of experience. Both have their strengths and do great. Another staff member added, “They are very approachable and always support us. They are understanding.”

This was felt similarly amongst people and their relatives, with comments such as “The manager is very responsive.”

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

People and staff felt able to raise concerns should they need to. A staff member told us, “If I have a problem, I will call the manager as and when they happen so they can be dealt with. Management will act fast and respond in an appropriate fashion.” Another staff member said, “If I feel something is not good with the client, staff or even managers then I can speak up about it. I can say anything to my managers. They are very nice and I feel very comfortable with all of them.”

The service had received multiple compliments from people and their relatives. These included, “The family find great peace of mind in the high standard of care provided” and “Thank you for making mums life much easier.”

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 was an inclusive culture amongst staff at the service, with staff members coming from different backgrounds and ethnicities. Staff felt they were treated equally. One staff member said, “They treat everyone fairly and there are no biases.” Another staff member told us, “We have people from different cultures and we all feel comfortable even though we have different cultures and languages. It’s a very friendly environment.” The registered manager told us, “There’s no difference in payrolls and salaries. They get the same training. Everyone is treated equally no matter their skin colour or ethnicity. We have carers from Ghana, Poland, and India but we all have the same goal and work together.”

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.

Regular audits of various aspects of care delivery were completed to identify shortfalls. The registered manager told us, “All audits are done in house unless we seek for a mock inspection. Our governance director is strict and will check things thoroughly.” We observed the provider’s service improvement plan which had identified areas for improvement, what action had been taken, and who was responsible for implementing the change. These were done in a timely manner.

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.

Staff worked closely with external providers to ensure people received the care they needed. This included close working relationships with the local authority, district nurses, and occupational therapists.

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 adapted their systems/processes to meet people’s needs. While gathering feedback as part of a previous written survey to people and relatives, the management team became aware some people required visual cues to support them to complete the form in a fully informed manner. Changes were made to the survey form to include this and people were offered the additional option of a staff member sitting with them to explain and complete the form with them if they wished.