Brighter Days Care at Home

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 79 (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 provider had values for the service provision which they shared with staff during their induction. Management told us they had started using a values led recruitment process to make sure they employed staff who had a shared understanding of their values and standards.

Prior to this inspection we received information of concern about the culture at the service. We did not find any evidence to substantiate this. The registered manager told us they talked to staff frequently about the service values and how they should implement them when working day to day. There was a business plan and a clear staff structure which informed who did what in the organisation.

Staff told us they really enjoyed working for the service and demonstrated an understanding of the provider’s values. Comments from staff included, “I love my job, and love to help people especially in the community. I get a lot from it and I am a strong believer that people are better at home” and “I enjoy the work, it is rewarding to have that connection with the clients.” One member of staff said, “I like that they are family run, I feel the company listens to the clients and their needs, they listen to the families. All the clients I see are happy and healthy. If there are any concerns the office are so supportive.”

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 an experienced registered manager in post who was supported by a wider management team. The registered manager had completed a level 5 management qualification and encouraged all the management team to complete the same or similar qualification.

Feedback from people and relatives about the management team was very positive. Comments included, “Best agency I have been with, they are very good at keeping up with assessments and reviews” and “If I need to cancel an appointment, they will do it for me. I am really happy with what they are doing for me. They are all really nice and supportive.”

Staff told us they thought management were approachable and managed the service well. Comments from staff included, “Management are supportive, helpful and approachable. They are open to new ideas”, “[Registered manager] is lovely, she is always there, you would not know she is the boss” and “Communication is good. Emails are responded to quickly.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Systems were established for staff to speak up if they needed to and share any concerns. Staff had been provided with training and information on whistleblowing during their induction and all staff had access to the whistleblowing policy. Staff felt confident any concerns raised would be taken seriously and investigated.

We found where concerns had been raised, they had been investigated fully with outcomes shared with relevant people. The registered manager told us they encouraged staff to share any concerns and acted on all information received.

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. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and procedures were available which gave staff information on support, resources and inclusive ways of working.

If staff needed any reasonable adjustments to be able to work safely, this was considered and implemented where possible. The service employed staff from overseas and recognised when English was not their first language, they may require additional support. This included providing face to face training to make sure staff understood the information shared.

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.

Various governance systems were being used to review care quality and safety. Areas for development were being identified, and actions had been taken to make improvements. Feedback had been sought from people, relatives and staff to help review service performance. Prior to this inspection, a review was completed and results analysed. The provider had identified areas which could be improved and an action plan with clear timescales was produced.

People and relatives told us they had been asked for feedback about the service. One relative said, “We have a really good relationship with the agency, and we really like them. We talk through any little issues, and we are asked for feedback. They now have newsletters and coffee mornings once a month.”

Audits were completed for a range of areas and there were compliance monitoring systems to help make sure people’s care plans contained the required information. Medicines audits were being completed daily, however, we found these checks were not always identifying areas for development. We shared this feedback with the registered manager who said they would review medicines quality checks without delay.

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.

Management had established good partnership working with various organisations and external stakeholders to try and improve outcomes for people. Comments from professionals included, “In my experience working with Brighter Days care team, I have only positive words to say” and “Professionally, I have worked with Brighter Days on many occasions and found them engaging, communicative and able to work professionally and with all agencies to offer person centred care. There have been clients with complex needs that Brighter Days have worked hard to manage appropriately. They communicate well with health and social care agencies to ensure their clients safety and wellbeing.”

The service was a member of a local provider forum and was keen to get involved in any pilots for improved ways of working. For example, the service had been involved in a pilot to improve data security and reviewed all their systems as part of this review.

The service had set up a free monthly coffee morning for people to try and combat social isolation. Staff were involved in providing transport for people and support needed to make sure they could attend. Feedback from people and professionals was extremely positive about this social initiative and the benefits it provided for people. One professional told us, “They organise a coffee morning. I think this is a great resource for people. it’s a great way of socialising safely. Staff can do social mixes and introduce people to other people. It is a great model and a good way for us to meet with a lot of people. Someone always has a question. The service is a good asset to Amesbury and surrounding areas.”

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. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

Management continuously looked at different ways they could improve the service and develop staff skills and knowledge. The registered manager told us they felt the service always looked for ways to develop and they were not complacent about performance, quality or safety.

A new training manager had been recruited who had reviewed all the training provision. This was work in progress with further areas to develop and improve staff training. The electronic care plan system had been implemented with management feeding back to the company what was working and what needed changing. There were monthly quality assurance meetings which reviewed all areas of the service, identifying what was working well and what needed attention. The registered manager told us they were open to any ideas for improvements and welcomed all suggestions.