Partners4Care 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 and we found the provider to be in breach of regulation because they had failed to keep complete, accurate and up to date records and their quality assurance system had failed to identify the concerns we found. At this assessment there had been improvement, the rating has changed to good and they were no longer in breach of the regulations. 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.

The provider told us they were passionate about providing the best opportunities for the people they supported. Sometimes things had not worked out for people where they had lived previously, and the provider worked alongside people’s advocates and social workers to understand and meet their needs.

Staff understood and demonstrated the provider’s culture of enabling people. A member of staff told us, “We have information in care plans about what people can do, and we know them. We always make sure we encourage independence. People go out socially every day to do the things they like to do.”

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. A staff member told us, “I appreciate the support available and believe that good communication and ongoing learning help both the residents and the staff team.”

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

The provider had a clear ‘Raising Concerns, Freedom to Speak Up and Whistleblowing’ policy and procedure in place which staff were frequently reminded about. There were also regular staff meetings held over the year. A staff member told us, “When I raise a concern, I do feel listened to, and I usually receive a considered and appropriate response.”

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 we spoke to told us they felt there was a fair culture. They reported feeling happy in their roles and were well supported by the management team and provider. A staff member told us, “They were recently very supportive with a personal issue. I get breaks, no concerns.”

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. Audits had been completed and where necessary action plans had been produced. However, action plans did not record who was responsible for making the necessary changes or if/when action had been taken. These omissions meant there was not a clear audit trail ensuring and evidencing improvement.

However, the provider had systems and process to support staff to perform their roles safely and effectively. This included clear and concise records. For example, we saw risk assessments and care records that contained clear details to enable staff to support people safely and in their preferred manner. Policies we viewed contained clear guidance for staff.

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. One external professional told us, “My team and I have always received responses from the management and staff.”

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 members felt able to contribute and make suggestions regarding service improvement. A staff member told us, “We have regular team meetings where we share updates, raise concerns, celebrate positive outcomes, and discuss ways to improve the service.”