Cheriton Homecare 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 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 86 (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.

Cheriton’s inclusive and progressive ethos helped shape care which improved people's quality of life. Staff were aware of the registered manager’s vision and values, which permeated throughout care provision. All staff we spoke with expressed complete support for the strong, visible person-centred culture that the registered manager and team had established. The registered manager led by example and strongly embedded the ‘family feel’ culture throughout the agency.

The vision and values were regularly discussed with staff during team meetings and supervision. Feedback showed people were extremely happy with the support they received and how staff promoted their individuality. Staff said morale was excellent which had a positive impact on the good-quality care they provided. One staff member told us, “I’ve never worked anywhere like this, I will never leave. It’s not just written on paper, the values and approach run through each of us in everything we do, and we work so well together as a team.”

The registered manager worked proactively to ensure the strong values-based approach was pertinent. This included when recruiting new staff to ensure their personal values aligned with the agency’s culture. Staff told us the service had a positive, well led culture where they were encouraged to speak openly. They felt genuinely supported in their roles and that management went above and beyond to ensure they could deliver excellent individualised care.

The provider was exceptionally inclusive and had a whole team 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.

The service fostered a culture of excellence and placed people at its heart. This supported people to achieve positive outcomes. The registered manager and office team had a strong oversight which meant any areas of improvement were highlighted almost immediately. The registered manager was extremely motivated and enthusiastic to lead an exceptional service which met the people they support where they were. The registered manager told us “Cheriton Homecare exists to protect quality of life. It exists to take pressure away from spouses, children and grandchildren, so time together can stay as time together, rather than turning into a duty that drains people. It exists so we can take on the worry, the organisation, and the practical weight of care, with calm and consistency.”

People and relatives unanimously spoke positively regarding the registered manager and team. One relative told us, “It’s like I’ve got a ‘hot line’ to [registered manager]. They are so kind, compassionate and responsive to anything I ask. When you ask if the service is well-led, I would say exceptionally led.” The registered manager and office team demonstrated an open and transparent stance and were clearly fully engaged with people and their relatives. They welcomed the inspection process and showed commitment to continually progress the service they offered. Professionals also spoke of a capable and inclusive approach from the registered manager, reporting that there was a significant drive to deliver excellent care.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

There was an open culture at the service, and the registered manager was proactive in gathering feedback. Staff told us they felt supported and able to speak up should they have any concerns. They also spoke of confidence in any matters being dealt with quickly and robustly. One staff member told us, “Yes, I feel very supported by the agency, I feel able to raise any concerns I may have.” There was a whistleblowing policy available for staff and varying processes in place to enable them to speak up if needed.

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 supported fairly and there was a strong culture of inclusivity within the working environment. Staff had undertaken training in equality and diversity, and the provider had a policy in place which reflected the ethos of the service. Where necessary, adjustments had been made to staff working patterns to meet any specific needs and ensure they felt valued as a team member.

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.

Governance arrangements were robust and included audits of numerous elements of care. For example, medicines, accidents and incidents and care plans. Staff also received regular supportive spot checks to ensure their practice remained compliant with good levels of care. These systems enabled the registered manager and office staff to monitor performance, identify any learning or development areas and drive improvements at the service.

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.

Staff had good working relationships with partner agencies to ensure people had positive outcomes from the support provided. Professionals spoke positively about the approach of the registered manager and the openness in their practice. The registered manager also engaged with a number of networks to share knowledge and best practice ideas.

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.

The registered manager had a clear vision for the direction of the service which demonstrated ambition and a desire for people to achieve the best outcomes possible. Staff were highly complementary of the drive to continuously improve the service for everyone involved.

Everyone at the service worked hard collectively to develop a culture that valued reflection, learning and improvement and they were receptive to challenge and welcomed fresh perspectives. By using frequent quality assurance processes and a 360-degree feedback approach, improvement was dynamic throughout the agency. Staff told us that they were strongly involved in shaping the service and driving any changes forward.

The registered manager worked in an innovative and proactive way to provide staff with training which was accessible and individualised to Cheriton. They had used artificial intelligence to design and develop a range of bespoke training videos for staff to access both before they started working and throughout their time with the agency. Staff told us they found this creative approach engaging and vital to meet their learning needs. This had a significant positive impact on the uptake of training and in turn, ensured people received excellent care.