New Leaf Care 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 75 (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.

Aims and objectives of the service were shared with staff at their induction and at other opportunities, including staff meetings and supervision sessions. Staff told us they felt respected and listened to by the registered manager. Others told us they felt happy and supported and would recommend working at the service.

People and relatives were also complimentary about management arrangements. A relative told us, “I think it’s well managed. Very friendly; listen to what I have to say; very helpful.” A person said, “Yes, it’s well managed. I see both managers on a regular basis.”

The registered manager understood the importance of the values, vision and strategy. The registered manager told us how the values played an intrinsic role when recruiting staff; they explained how staff may not always have a background in health and social care and therefore the values of the person needed to be in line with the providers’ values. The registered manager told us the values were discussed regularly in leadership meetings and in supervisions with staff.

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.

Staff had access to an employee assistance programme; this confidential service provided staff with support and guidance for any personal or professional problems which may affect their wellbeing, and support was also available to managers. A staff member told us, “The registered manager is always available to us, and we see her a lot and she is always consistent.” A second staff member said, “If I have needed unexpected time off, the manager has allowed me that time off.” A relative said, “I would recommend this service because they are reliable, professional and courteous with good communication.”

The registered manager cared about the people they supported, and ensured relatives were involved appropriately. A health professional told us, “[Registered manager name] understands how important family and representatives are when working with someone who does not have capacity; family is this individual’s biggest advocate and [registered manager name] and New Leaf Care have always listened to family’s ideas and suggestions, which has allowed trust to build.”

The registered manager recognised the importance of continuing to audit the service to identify areas for improvement and had the experience, capability and integrity to ensure the organisational vision was delivered and risks managed well.

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

Staff and leaders acted with openness, honesty and transparency. Staff we spoke with told us they felt able to speak up about any issues and their concerns would be listened to and acted upon.

The provider had up-to-date freedom to speak up policies and procedures. The provider ensured there were appropriate forums and opportunities for staff to speak up. Staff had access to an on-call system, team meetings and supervision sessions. Staff told us the leaders were aware of the key issues they faced and said they were asked by leaders for their opinions and concerns on a regular basis.

There were mechanisms in place for people and relatives to speak up and people and relatives told us the service was well led. One relative said, “I think the service is well managed. I complained once because a carer was on their phone when taking [person] out; we never saw them again.”

People told us they felt they were listened to, and leaders were quick to respond. Relatives told us staff kept them informed if they had any concerns about their loved ones. People said they had confidence in the staff to assist them if they were not feeling well, and staff advised them to contact other professionals if needed. Staff also consulted with leaders for advice.

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.

The provider had a fair and inclusive culture which promoted equality of opportunity and anti – discriminatory practices. The provider ensured equality, diversity, and inclusion was central in their recruitment processes. Leaders made reasonable adjustments to support staff to carry out their roles. A staff member said, “I think the registered manager is doing a great job and is very organised and professional and treats us all the same so is no discrimination. Each staff member is equal, and the registered manager knows this.” There was no evidence to suggest anyone faced discrimination.

During the recruitment process, staff were asked to sign an equality and diversity declaration and completed an equal opportunity form which allowed the provider to ensure every staff member was treated the same. The small nature of the organisation allowed a closer knit, friendly space where everyone was valued.

The provider employed sponsored workers which helped to bring diversity to the organisation.

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.

The provider had a good level of oversight of the service and regularly visited people being supported; the registered manager also delivered care themselves, when needed. Spot checks of staff practice were carried out regularly to ensure the care provided was meeting people’s needs. A risk matrix was held, to monitor any existing and new risks to people and staff.

Governance systems were in place to monitor the standard of care people received. People and relatives completed reviews of the quality of care provided. Various meetings took place with the staff group, and these also looked at the quality of care and staff performance.

A variety of audits were carried out and timely action was taken if follow up work was required. Regular audits of people’s care plans, medicine records, recruitment files and daily records took place. A health care professional told us, “We have regular reviews with all parties to ensure the individual [person] remains well supported.”

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.

The provider worked in partnership with other organisations. The registered manager worked with several professionals depending on people’s individual needs. Referrals into the service were often related to end of life care and staff worked alongside the palliative care team and district nurses to support people and monitor their progress. Staff recorded all care interventions, and any concerns were directly reported to the district nurses or the palliative care nurses.

For people who were cared for in bed, or susceptible to skin breakdown, staff liaised with district nurses to manage pressure area care and often developed a shared care plan to support each team with the correct up to date information and the current progress of the person.

Staff regularly worked in partnership with occupational therapists (OT’s) to make sure people who needed equipment for moving and handling had been assessed correctly and had the right equipment to use. For example, one person’s mobility had reduced greatly, and they were finding it difficult to weight bear, so the OT was contacted. Several assessment sessions were conducted with the OT and staff present, to determine the best possible outcome and the person in question was provided with a hoist for moving and handling. The OT's provided staff with the necessary training to use the equipment and could be contacted at any time to support staff.

The provider also worked with social workers and commissioners to ensure care packages were meeting the needs of people being supported. Staff often contacted different professionals for advice and support and the advice provided by healthcare professionals was incorporated into people's care plans, so staff could provide care which met people's health needs. Sometimes, at the person's request, staff contacted their GP for appointments and contacted pharmacists for repeat prescriptions.

The provider held silver accreditation for the ‘Wigan Deal’ which is about empowering communities and enabling them to do what they do best.

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.

The provider had systems and policies to ensure continuous learning and improvement. We noted lesson learned were in place and where concerns had been identified, these were shared with the staff team. The registered manager was responsive to feedback from all sources.

The provider was committed in ensuring quality assurance was in place to maintain high standards of care and ensure the well-being of people being supported. There were clear and established standards for various aspects of care such as people’s safety. The provider and registered manager regularly reviewed any incidents and any necessary improvement actions were taken.

The provider regularly assessed the care provided through audits, internal quality assurance visits, and by analysing feedback from people and their relatives.The provider adequately trained staff and they understood the quality standards and procedures. A person told us, “‘I wouldn’t be able to cope without them [staff]. It’s made it possible for me to remain at home.”

All staff we spoke with confirmed leaders encouraged them to speak up with ideas for improvement and innovation and actively invested time to listen and engage; we also verified this by looking at a range of meetings which had taken place throughout the year.