United Care (UK) Ltd

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.

The provider had a shared direction and culture with staff and people. People were surveyed to gain their views on the service to help ensure it was run in line with the wishes of people. The provider had a set of policies and procedures that helped to create a consistent approach to care. This included policies covering equality and diversity There was also a service user guide and staff handbook which gave information about what was provided.

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.

Managers were supportive of staff and promoted an inclusive culture. Staff told us they felt supported. One member of staff said, “The manager is very supportive. I’m always able to talk to them.” Another member of staff said, “I get good support from the manager. If I need any help or clarification my questions are always answered.”

People expressed satisfaction with the provider’s leadership. A person told us, “I’m happy to call the manager if needed” and added that the manager was, “very receptive and nice.” A relative said, “I would deal with [manager], they’re regularly in touch about things and have always responded quickly to any messages. I’m confident that they would respond well.”

People did not always feel they could speak up and that their voice would be heard.

The provider had policies in place which supported people and staff to speak up, including policies on complaints and whistleblowing. Staff meetings were held which gave staff the opportunity to raise issues of importance to them. The minutes of a staff meeting in September 2024 record that staff had requested certificates from the training courses they completed. The manager had said they could only have these five years after the completion of the course and then for a fee. We strongly recommend that staff are supplied free of charge with copies of their training certificates as soon as they are available after the completion of the course.

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 manager told us how they sought to promote workforce diversity and inclusion. For example, being flexible with staff’s working patterns to fit in around childcare commitments and religious beliefs. There was a policy on equality and diversity to help guide staff practice in this area. Staff recruitment was carried out in line with good practice in relation to equality and diversity.

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

The service has not had a registered manager in post since 2018. A manager was appointed in 2018 after the previous registered manager resigned. They were still the manager of the service at the time of this assessment, and one of the owners and directors of the company that runs the service. They told us they had not applied for registration with CQC because they were working towards care qualifications which they wanted to obtain before applying. During the assessment we stressed the importance of appointing a registered manager without further delay and explained the length of time without one was not acceptable. The manager gave us assurances that they would apply for registration with CQC without any further delay.

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 partnerships with other organisations. For example, they worked with the NHS and local authorities in accessing the needs of people. The manager told us the provider was a member of a trade organisation that provided support to domiciliary care agencies. They also said they attended a provider forum run by the local authority where care providers could share information and good practice.

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.