Cherry Care Services Limited - Northampton

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 71 (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 described a positive and supportive culture within the service. They spoke positively about working for the organisation and told us they felt valued and supported in their roles. Staff were clear about the service’s values and their responsibility to provide person-centred care that achieved positive outcomes for people.

There was evidence of regular team meetings and supervision sessions, which provided opportunities for staff to share information, discuss practice issues and contribute to the development of the service. Staff told us communication within the team was effective and that they felt able to raise concerns or make suggestions.

The positive culture described by staff helped to promote collaborative working and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality care and support.

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.

People and staff spoke positively about the management of the service. People told us they felt well supported and were satisfied with the care they received. Staff described managers as approachable, supportive and available when guidance or advice was needed. One staff member said, “The manager is very competent. They will act quickly if there are issues.”

Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns, discuss practice issues and contribute ideas for improving the service. Regular supervision sessions and team meetings provided opportunities for managers to communicate expectations, share information and support staff development. This helped to create an open and inclusive culture where staff felt listened to and valued.

The management team demonstrated an understanding of the needs of people using the service and showed a commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred care.

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

Staff felt able to raise concerns and speak openly about issues affecting people, the service or their own practice. Staff told us they would be confident in raising any concerns should they arise and were assured that these would be listened to and acted upon appropriately.

There was a culture of openness within the service, supported through regular supervision and team meetings, where staff could discuss concerns, share ideas and seek guidance. Staff described managers as approachable and responsive, which helped to create an environment where people felt comfortable speaking up.

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.

Although none of the staff whose recruitment and personnel records we reviewed had disclosed a disability or identified a need for reasonable adjustments, we saw evidence that managers discussed staff wellbeing and any support needs during supervision sessions. This helped to ensure opportunities were available for staff to raise any requirements that may affect them in the workplace.

Staff spoke positively about their experience of working for the service and told us they felt supported by the provider. They described managers as approachable and responsive, and felt able to discuss any concerns or personal circumstances that may impact on their work.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

Audits covered key areas of service delivery and demonstrated that the provider sought to maintain oversight of the service and identify areas for improvement.

However, governance processes were not always effective in identifying and addressing gaps in records and regulatory requirements that we identified. Some documents lacked key information needed to support effective oversight and monitoring. For example, the complaints, compliments and concerns log did not consistently record the dates of incidents. In addition, there was no supporting working document to clearly record incidents, actions taken and timescales for completion. This limited the provider’s ability to effectively track issues, monitor progress and demonstrate that concerns had been managed appropriately.

We also found that statutory notifications had not been submitted for all notifiable events. For example, we identified a safeguarding incident which we had not received a notification for. This indicated that governance systems had not been sufficiently robust to ensure compliance with regulatory responsibilities. This was discussed with the registered manager who understood these requirements and advised they would review their records and submit any missed notifications.

The provider was responsive during the assessment and demonstrated a willingness to address the issues identified. However, improvements were needed to strengthen governance arrangements and ensure records, oversight systems and regulatory reporting processes operated effectively and consistently.

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 described positive working relationships with relevant health and social care professionals and told us they shared information appropriately when required to support people’s wellbeing and achieve positive outcomes. People received care that reflected a collaborative approach, helping to ensure their needs were met effectively.

Overall, the provider demonstrated a commitment to working with external partners and the wider community to support people’s health, wellbeing and independence. The evidence reviewed did not identify any issues relating to partnership working, and people appeared to benefit from joined-up and coordinated support.

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.

Staff told us that when incidents occurred, these were reviewed to identify any lessons that could be learned and opportunities to improve practice. This helped to support safe care and encouraged reflective working.

We saw evidence that learning from incidents was considered and shared with staff. This ensured staff were aware of any changes in practice, emerging risks or actions required to help prevent similar incidents from reoccurring. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of learning from events and using this information to improve outcomes for people.

Overall, the provider had systems in place to review incidents, identify learning and communicate this effectively to staff. This supported continuous improvement and helped to promote the delivery of safe and effective care.