Choices for Living Well (Killelea)

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, with elements of outstanding. 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 82 (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 and wider leadership team had worked hard to embed a positive culture in the service and shared direction amongst staff. Staff understood the values of the service and recognised their role in ensuring people felt cared for, respected and valued.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. Feedback from staff was consistently positive about the registered manager, comments included, ‘[Registered Manager] listens, is knowledgeable and insightful” and “We went a relatively long period of time without a permanent manager, but [Registered Manager] has brought stability and a renewed focus to everything we do.” As evidenced throughout this report, capable, compassionate and inclusive leadership had a direct impact on outstanding care and outcomes for people.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff we’re afforded meaningful opportunities to have their collective and individual voices heard. Staff confirmed to us that when concerns were raised, these were taken seriously and acted upon. For example, suggestion boxes had been introduced for staff who did not wish to speak up, to anonymously share any concerns/ideas. We saw how these were then discussed at a management meeting and feedback was given on any action planned to be taken in line with the suggestion. One of these suggestions had led to the implementation of a staff break room and an increase in toilet facilities.

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 service benefited from a workforce that was representative of the community it served. Recruitment processes, training and policy and procedures were in place to support equality, equity, diversity and inclusion. Bespoke training for the leadership team had been delivered from an external organisation, in line with the providers inclusion strategy. A key aim of this learning was to further explore the knowledge and skills leaders had in relation to inclusion and eliminating bias.

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 with others when appropriate. For example, there was a robust governance framework in place between the provider and NHS partners in the service. This included regular quality and risk meetings both at an operational and strategic leadership level.

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. As mentioned throughout this report, at both provider and service level, partnership working was at the heart of service delivery in support of achieving the best outcomes for people and communities.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

At this assessment we learnt the journey of the service had been 5 years in the making, first developed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The provider, through Bury Integrated Care Partnership, brought together key partners, representing the best of adult social care, primary and secondary care, with staff working tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcomes for people. As evidenced throughout this report, service delivery and practice at Choices for Living Well (Killelea) is innovative and dynamic, and an exemplar model of intermediate care across a local system.