Merit Care Ltd

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 68 (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 spoke positively about the provider and the managers. Staff told us their feedback to the provider was welcomed. One staff member said, “Everyone is open to suggestions at our team meetings. We discuss everything and the floor is open. It is an environment where we can talk openly about the company, working hours.” Staff told us the managers of the service were approachable. We received comments such as, “I think the managers are very approachable from my point of view. Any concern I have raised they have listened to me” and “The managers are excellent, and they listen. They take issues seriously and try to resolve things.”

People and their relatives were complimentary about the management of the service and the staff team. Comments from people included, “The people (staff) are really, really good. I can’t say anything bad about them. My relatives are very happy with the care they give” and “They are all good and they are family. I’ve no complaints.”

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.

Whilst the leaders were passionate about their role and the care being provided; we were not fully assured the registered manager and management team fully understood the regulatory requirements. However, the registered manager was responsive to our feedback and started to implement changes to address our concerns.

The registered manager held regular meetings and supervisions with the managers and staff to share information and the actions the provider was taking. For example, the provider shared they had worked with various partners to evidence their recruitment and sponsorship practices. The registered manager said they had valued feedback from staff and listened to their concerns.

The registered manager recognised staff potential and mentored senior staff to take on more responsibility.

People and their relatives told us managers had acted on any concerns. One person described some ‘initial teething problems’ and said they were dealt with quickly by the head office.

Other relatives complimented the management team. One relative shared that the managers expressed genuine compassion and empathy during their recent loss. Another relative said, “Thank you to Merit Care, they have been fantastic.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. They valued feedback from people who used the service and staff to drive improvement. People, relatives and staff all told us they felt able to raise any concerns with the provider and felt these would be addressed.

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 provider respected the diversity of their workforce. Staff confirmed they were treated fairly and equally. One staff member said, “Yes there is equal opportunities for everyone. For example, when they create the rotas they will alternate the days so it is an equal opportunity to have the weekend off. They rotate us as well so we can gain more experience with different clients.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. Key managers had been employed to support the registered manager and assist with the governance of the service. Systems and trackers were used to monitor the quality of care being delivered to people and to monitor staff development. However, the provider recognised their quality monitoring systems needed to be further developed to ensure they were effective such as identifying whether CQC notifications had been submitted as needed.

Managers responded to information of concern and acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Staff confirmed they were invited to attend staff meetings where concerns about people were discussed and there was a sharing of information.

The provider was in the process of implementing an electronic care management system which will assist them in monitoring the service. Further time was needed to assess if the system would be effective.

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 management and staff team had good working relationships with partners such as health professionals and local authorities and provided examples of when they had sought and implemented professional advice.

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. The managers listened to staff concerns about people’s safety and took action to help to prevent further occurrences.