AMG Nursing and Care Services - Lincoln Branch

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.

We did not look at Shared direction and culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

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.

There was no registered manager in place at the time of the visit, but the acting manager had applied to register. Most staff told us they felt the management team were supportive and approachable. Training records showed the manager was receiving ongoing development to support their leadership role. A staff member told us, “I found [managers] to be understanding. They always seem to care, no problem has been too big for them.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. People and their relatives told us they felt able to raise concerns if required. A person told us, “I have no issues. However, I am aware of the management.” A family member stated, “We can talk to the management if we are not satisfied with the service.” Most staff explained they felt listened to and supported. One staff member shared, “I strongly feel that if I ever have concerns about patient safety or wellbeing, I’m always listened to, and appropriate action is taken. Any concerns or incidents I’ve reported in the past were dealt with immediately and effectively.”

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

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.

Records showed regular checks, audits, and spot checks were carried out to support management oversight and governance of the service. These processes helped maintain quality and safety across the service. However, statutory notifications were not always submitted when required. Although the manager explained this was due to issues with the CQC portal, it was explained to the manager that notifications could still be submitted by email when the portal was not working. Following this conversation, notifications were submitted.

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. Professionals told us that when concerns were raised, they were addressed promptly, either through meetings or through immediate correspondence. They also confirmed the provider consistently attended scheduled meetings, which supported strong partnership working. A nurse told us they maintained regular communication with the commissioner responsible in ensuring community services were meeting people’s specific health needs. They explained how they updated them on developments and progress within the service and stated the ongoing support had been invaluable in helping them deliver high-quality care and respond effectively to people’s needs.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. Quality assurance systems and ongoing action plans were in place and demonstrated continuous improvement. There was clear evidence feedback had been listened to and acted upon, showing a commitment to learning and service development. A manager explained incidents, trends and themes were reviewed monthly and audits were used to identify patterns and areas for improvement. To respond to these findings managers held patch meetings, conducted supervisions and met with staff. These discussions helped ensure staff understood the themes and were supported to take appropriate actions. Staff were encouraged to complete feedback forms, which helped the service understand their views and identify areas for learning and development. The manager told us they actively sought feedback from staff and responded using a, ‘You said, we did’ approach. This ensured suggestions led to meaningful actions and continuous improvement within the service. The manager told us feedback from people was reviewed thoroughly when they shared concerns or suggestions and appropriate actions were taken.