Comfort Call Rotherham

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. Staff and leaders shared the same values and ensured the providers culture was embedded. The registered manager told us their philosophy was to look at people’s support as if it was being delivered to their family member. Team meetings were an opportunity to remind staff of the company values and to discuss practical examples. Company values were focused around being a strong team and building a culture where people thrived.

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. Leaders understood the requirement of duty of candour. This is their duty to be honest and open about any accident or incident that had caused or placed a person at risk of harm. The service notified the relevant authorities, including local authorities and CQC where required. People and relatives told us they found the staff and leaders approachable and could speak freely with them. One person said, “We are lucky to have this agency and carers, and I know that.” A relative said, “In the beginning the service was ok but recently it has improved so much it is now almost perfect.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff were supported to raise concerns and had access to a whistle blowing policy. The policy explained how employees had a responsibility to raise concerns about improper practice without being subject to any form of detriment or disadvantage as a result of having raised those 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. Adjustments were made for people requesting Sundays and certain days off for religious and cultural needs. The provider had an equal opportunities and inclusion in employment policy. The policy applied to all conduct inside and outside of the workplace including meetings, social events, social interactions with colleagues and any conduct which may impact on the provider’s reputation. Staff had access to an employee handbook which included staff benefits, types of leave, policies and procedures, guide to working for the provider, and standards and behaviour at work.

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 provider had a robust governance system to ensure regular audits were carried out to review the service and maintain standards. The registered manager was supported by a regional manager who visited the office regularly to conduct their own checks of the service. Any issues identified were acted upon and timely action taken to resolve them. Spot visits took place to ensure staff were carrying out their roles in line with the provider’s policies and procedures. A business continuity policy was in place and covered accidents and incidents, adverse weather, met office and environment agency alerts, floods, and data loss or inaccessibility.

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 registered manager had fostered good links with external professionals. For example, the registered manager had contacted the local fire service to ensure someone was supported to have a fire check on their property. People were supported to access the community to attend appointments and had access to healthcare professionals.

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. Staff and leaders had a positive attitude to learning from events and looked for practical and meaningful ways to improve their service. An events analysis was completed for each accident and incident and identified areas to develop. The providers quality policy ensured care was delivered to the highest standard and provided a process for continuous improvement, setting measurable targets for quality improvement and reviewing these regularly.