Aiding Independence

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.

The provider and registered manager had set out a clear vision for the service which was shared by staff. The registered manager described the ethos of the service as “Having a hands off approach”, “Supporting people to live their best life”, “Supporting people to learn the skills they need to be as independent as possible, to try new things, and take positives risks”. Staff shared this vision, which underpinned the support they offered people. The registered manager encouraged staff to be flexible to what people wanted and not just follow people’s usual routines.

A workshop had been held for staff following the Covid-19 restrictions, which had limited what people were able to do. The aim of the workshop was to empower staff to support people to get back to doing all the things they had done outside their homes previously, “Have the best quality of life and good social lives”.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered 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 provider had previously been the registered manager and knew people and staff well. The registered manager had been supported to develop their skills and progress through the organisation to their current role. Other staff had also been supported to develop in their roles and obtain promotions.

Staff told us they felt supported by the management team. A staff member commented, “They lead by example and have stepped in to help when staff are not well”. There were regular staff meetings for each team which were attended by the registered manager. Information about any changes was shared and discussed and staff were encouraged to share their views and make suggestions.

The registered manager had spent time with staff explaining our role and had shared information with staff about the regulations and what good support looked like. Staff were confident to speak with us during our inspection and shared their views of the service.

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

Staff told us they felt listened to by leaders, they were confident any concerns they raised would be dealt with appropriately. Their comments included, “I have a good relationship with the management, I feel I am involved and have no problem speaking up or making suggestions”, “I know how to escalate concerns to management and we have a whistle blowing policy”, “I would feel comfortable to whistle blow” and “We are encouraged to speak up, there is an open door policy. They are easy to talk to”.

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 were policies in place to promote equality, diversity and inclusion. The registered manager told us, “I do genuinely care about staff wellbeing, they are going to be better at their jobs if they are happy”. Staff thought they were treated equally. Staff told us, “Each staff member brings something different to the team”. The registered manager described the flexible working arrangements they had in place to support their health or commitments away from work. Staff told us the arrangements in place worked well for them, such as “I have children. I tell them when I can work and they fit me into the rota”.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality and sustainable support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

There were effective processes in place to monitor the quality of the service. Members of the leadership team completed audits of all areas of the service. This included regular checks on people’s support plans, risk assessments and health screening. Where shortfalls were identified action had been taken to ensure records were accurate and people received the checks they needed.

Staff understood their responsibilities and roles. There was a clear leadership structure and staff we spoke with knew who they were accountable to and their role in supporting people. The provider and registered manager were clear about their legal responsibilities including when to notify us of specific events and duty of candour responsibilities.

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 and registered manager actively looked for opportunities to work with the local community. These included a local nightclub and festival for people with a learning disability. People who wished to were supported to join Pride celebrations. People who want to are supported to save and go on annual holidays, destinations have included Brighton, Isle of White, Disneyland Paris. People are supported to be actively in their local communities and volunteer at local food banks, community stores and animal rescue charities.

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 kept up to date with any changes in the social care environment and used this information to encourage change and improvement for people being supported by the service. The provider part of local and national groups which they used to maintain their skills and knowledge and to develop the service. They were a member of Skills for Care and had completed some of their online training modules. For example, the senior carers had completed development around a positive culture. They were also members of the local integrated care alliance, attend their conferences, newsletters and other services to update policies and strategies.