Bright Opportunities Enabling Services Limited

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Managers and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.
The person-centred values described throughout this report were embedded across the service. Staff shared a common commitment to enabling people to live meaningful lives and achieve outcomes that mattered to them. The registered manager said, "We are bright, cheerful and fun and I hope that comes through". The positive culture and ethos of the company was shared by the staff, who demonstrated a deep commitment and care for people they supported. One staff member said, “We are like one massive family”.
Staff felt able to share ideas with relatives and advocate for opportunities that were important to people. One staff member explained how they had spoken with a person's relative about the possibility of supporting them to visit Disneyland, as they knew this would be a particularly meaningful experience. The person had a strong interest in Disney, with Disney-themed items throughout their room and a large collection of Disney films, but they had never had the opportunity to visit Disneyland. The staff member felt able to share ideas with relatives and advocate for opportunities that could enhance the person's life. At the time of the assessment this was still in the process of being planned. This showed a culture where staff looked beyond day-to-day support and worked with relatives to help people achieve meaningful goals, where personal aspirations were explored.
Feedback from staff, relatives and professionals was very positive. Staff described positive morale, good communication, and effective teamwork. One staff member said, “The team is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, everyone gets on and works together, everyone is on the same page. [Name] is at their happiest at the moment. I think that is because we are all working together.” Managers embedded values through CQC “I Statements,” meetings, supervision, training and visible displays. They wanted the culture to be “bright, cheerful and fun”, and the registered manager said, “It is not a them and us, it is a team.” Leadership was visible, approachable, and supportive, and managers understood people supported and sought improvements. The registered manager didn’t wish to expand the service in order to deliver high quality, person-centred care. They said, “They live their best life because of us, I don't want to lose vision”. A professional told us, “I have found [registered manager] to be responsive to recommendations and input changes when requested. They have told me they are not looking to expand the service." This meant people received support from staff who were working towards shared goals and values.

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.
The service was owned and run by the registered manager and then another manager with the job title of ‘House Manager’ who oversaw the day-to-day running of the service. Managers showed passion for the work they did and spoke with respect and care about staff and the person who had support. There was a strong culture of openness, learning, and continuous improvement. Staff were empowered to make decisions in the person’s best interests whilst receiving strong oversight and support from the management team. The strength of leadership was reflected in the positive, enabling culture found throughout the service, where staff were motivated to achieve the best possible outcomes for people.
Staff described managers as supportive, approachable, and available. Staff said managers gave professional feedback, communicated openly, and understood frontline care. One staff member said, "The management team have worked their way from support workers in previous jobs to management, they therefore know how to speak to the team as they have been in our position." Another staff member said, “[the registered manager] is such a fantastic boss. They should be really proud of what they have done”. A manager said the registered manager would “never ask us to do anything they wouldn't be prepared to do themselves.” A relative said, “I get on very well with [The registered manager], they are always easy to contact.”
A professional said, “From a professional perspective I have found the registered manager to be responsive to recommendations and input changes when requested.” This meant the person benefited from leadership that promoted a positive, supportive, and inclusive culture.

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.
Managers actively created opportunities for staff to challenge practice and encouraged respectful professional disagreement. Reflective supervision and team discussions were used not only to discuss performance, but also to explore what could be improved and whether any aspect of the person's support did not feel right. This helped create a culture of curiosity, reflection and continuous improvement, where staff felt confident to question practice in the person's best interests.
Staff were actively encouraged to share feedback, raise concerns and influence how the service was delivered. All staff we spoke with said they felt listened to and knew how to escalate issues when needed. One staff member said, “I feel that the managers listen to me and appreciate any suggestions. They will often seek suggestions too”. Another said, “If there are any things I think need bringing up or improved, I will speak my mind and let [registered manager] or [other manager] know”. This meant staff were not passive recipients of decisions but were actively involved in shaping and improving the support provided to the person.

The registered manager recognised the importance of maintaining an open culture within a small service and actively encouraged staff to speak up through regular contact, supervision, telephone calls and messages. One manager said, “I don't always do a written supervision, but I check in with staff every time I see them.” The registered manager described how staff regularly questioned practice and brought matters to their attention. They said staff may begin conversations with, “I know it might sound daft…” and explained they preferred staff to raise concerns if they had them. They said, “Staff know they can ring us. We have an open and honest culture with everyone.” This meant concerns, ideas and observations were discussed promptly, helping the service respond quickly to changing needs and improve the person's experience of care.

The provider had established processes to support speaking up, including supervision, staff meetings, staff surveys and a whistleblowing policy. Managers encouraged staff to share ideas, challenge decisions and raise concerns without fear of negative consequences. The provider also demonstrated a strong commitment to learning from concerns, incidents and complaints. Following an incident, the registered manager immediately investigated, spoke with staff, the person, their relatives and professionals, and took action to keep people safe. A staff member we spoke with was aware of this matter and demonstrated vigilance and a willingness to challenge practice where required. Managers regularly reviewed accidents, incidents and feedback and shared learning across the organisation to improve practice and reduce the risk of recurrence. This showed speaking up was actively encouraged and led to meaningful action, rather than being treated as a procedural requirement. Staff knew their concerns, observations and ideas would be taken seriously and used to improve support. This meant the provider had created an exceptionally open and supportive culture where constructive challenge was welcomed, learning was embedded and improvements led to safer, more personalised care and better outcomes for people.

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.
Staff were positive about Bright Opportunities Enabling Services Limited and felt they were treated with respect. Staff had been supported with their professional development. One staff member described receiving support from managers with their mental health, wellbeing and other health needs. They said they felt understood, not judged and well supported.
Managers made reasonable adjustments, including risk assessments and temporary role changes, to help staff remain in work safely. A manager said they would “see everyone as an individual.”

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.
Managers completed monthly quality assurance and medicines audits, reviewed performance against CQC quality statements, checked stock, oversaw daily records and maintained a 12 month improvement plan. The registered manager understood their requirement to submit statutory notifications. Policies were comprehensive, in date and available to staff on handheld devices. The registered manager showed good oversight of the service and a clear understanding of people's needs, risks and outcomes. The electronic care planning system supported managers with a real-time overview of people's care each day. Managers could then monitor people more closely and react earlier to potential problems. This meant there were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care. We identified a minor area for improvement in relation to PRN medicines records, where some documentation could be clearer and easier to audit. However, people continued to receive their medicines safely and the provider took prompt action to review and strengthen their processes.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.
The registered manager ran a day centre as a community interest company, as well as overseeing Bright Opportunities Enabling Services Limited. This allowed people to have direct access to a large selection of resources and a community of people to socialise with. For example, a local business had raised money for the day centre and the registered manager planned to use the money for pantomime tickets. They knew the people they supported would want to attend this and told us they would ensure they got a ticket. This way of working expanded people’s care packages and allowed greater opportunities through collaborative working. The registered manager said, “I speak to people all the time at the day centre, ask questions, and share learning”.
Relatives described positive partnership working with healthcare professionals and family members to support good outcomes. A relative said, “they will contact the GP if needed”. Another relative said, “They goes to the dentist every three months and they get a check-up with the nurse”. Healthcare professionals said staff and managers worked with them well, listening to advice and implementing it correctly. A professional said, “Bright Opportunities have always contacted me to discuss any concerns and attended any meetings”. Managers worked with social workers, local authorities, health professionals, the fire service, speech and language therapists, psychologists, other providers and community organisations. People took part in fundraising, discos, walks and social activities. This meant people benefited from coordinated support and had access to a wide range of experiences which promoted inclusion, independence and wellbeing.
Professionals consistently praised communication, advocacy, family involvement, prompt responses and support for independence and wellbeing. One professional said, “[Staff and managers have] great communication and positivity with people. Really good inter-personal relationships which mean that the people get the best from involvement with the provider.” This showed partnership working was focused on achieving positive outcomes for the person rather than simply sharing information between organisations.
The registered manager described how they learnt from others through a registered managers' social media network group, where good practice and information were shared, and through Skills for Care workshops. Learning was then used to inform and improve practice. This meant the person benefited not only from effective partnership working, but also from a service that actively sought new ideas, shared learning and continuously looked for ways to improve experiences and outcomes.

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 and effective practice.
The provider demonstrated a commitment to learning and improving the service. The registered manager said and demonstrated they were, “Always wanting to improve”. The provider was open to feedback and managers showed a genuine drive to learn, reflect and develop the service and staff. Staff were able to give different examples of learning which they shared with others to improve care, such as why someone may have a soft food diet and how to make it appetising. The staff member said, “I never understood why people needed that. [Registered manager] asked who wanted to do the training and I jumped on it… You want to know what it is you are eating. It was a very interesting course”. This was not something people needed help with but displayed how staff were eager to learn and develop in a variety of ways.
The registered manager had completed, ‘Train the trainer’ certification to enable them to make sure they could keep staff trained and up to date with training related to medicines. The registered manager had also sought, ‘Train the trainer’ for a member of staff in the organisation to train staff with moving and handling. They shared roles amongst staff to improve learning across the service. For example, the registered manager was the safeguarding lead, and the other manager was an infection control lead. Managers had introduced or planned diary-style daily records, choking specific first aid equipment, environmentally friendly cleaning products, improved medicines systems, revised lone-working arrangements, stronger safeguarding processes and more quality assurance activity. The provider had joined a charity network focussed on reducing restrictive practices. This showed managers actively sought new ideas and learning opportunities rather than relying on established ways of working.
Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of care and identify opportunities for development. Where any suggested improvements were identified, the provider responded positively, instantly had ideas on how to improve and took action to address them. The provider had made significant improvements since the previous inspection and was receptive to feedback throughout the assessment process. This meant people benefited from support that was continually reviewed and developed, helping to improve safety, maintain quality of life and achieve better outcomes over time.