Kindred Community 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 leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

Robust quality monitoring systems helped the provider identify any shortfalls in the management of people’s care and the running of the service. There was a positive and open culture. The provider used feedback from people, staff and other professionals to drive improvement. Staff and professionals praised the managers and told us they were approachable and listened to their views. Staff were open and honest with people and their relatives when things went wrong. Staff were encouraged to reflect and consider any learnings after any incidents to help prevent further incidents. The equality and diversity of people and staff was respected and promoted.

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.

Managers and staff shared a common understanding of what good care looked like, and how they should work together to achieve it. They did this successfully, which ensured consistently good outcomes for people. Induction, training, learning and reflection all ensured staff were reminded of their core purpose and supported to continue achieving it. Staff believed in the impact they could have in people’s lives. One member of staff said, “Person centred is not just a buzz phrase here, at Kindred Community we truly adhere to this ethos in all aspects of what we do and how we do it.” People, their representatives and external professionals felt the service was very well-led, with leaders being visible and accountable. One external professional told us, “Kindred Community is highly professional, and person centred in its provision of care for their clients. Their staff are competent and highly trained, all working from varied backgrounds and disciplines, to provide the care needed for their clients.” Policies and procedures had regard to equality and human rights, equity of care experiences, diversity and inclusion and the needs of people.

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 registered manager was in place who knew the service, people and staff well. Staff were positive about the management of the service. We saw the registered manager had a good relationship with people and staff. There was an open and inclusive culture at the service.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The registered manager welcomed feedback from people, relatives, staff and other professionals. We saw surveys which demonstrated this. There was a whistleblowing policy in place and staff were aware of this and how to raise any concerns if they needed to. Staff felt if they shared concerns or feedback with the registered manager, this would be listened to and actioned appropriately.

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.

There were policies and procedures in place to support non-discriminatory and equitable staff recruitment. Processes were in place to support staff to carry out their roles. The provider organised away days and trips abroad to foster inclusion and wellbeing amongst staff. Staff had completed equality, diversity and inclusion training.

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. We saw the provider carried out a range of audits covering different areas such as on care plans, medicines, people’s dignity, people’s finance and safeguarding. The systems of audit had been developed by staff within the organisation, which ensured they were relevant, appropriate and continued to drive improvement. A member of staff told us, “We’re always looking to learn and improve.”

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 registered manager and staff told us they worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s needs were met. Partners we sought feedback from provided positive feedback about the service. One external professional told us, “I mainly deal with the two owners and office manager. The owners run a transparent and robust business, and this is echoed by the office manager. They all appear very confident and competent in relation to case management and offer good support to anyone new joining the company. Kindred ensures that staff are competent and offers 1-1 support as well as wider support.” Records showed the service worked in partnership with social and health professionals to ensure people received safe and effective support.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 an excellent focus on ensuring they kept up the date with the sector and innovation, to ensure they could improve the lives of the people they supported. The provider excelled at making a positive impact on the wider community of people with acquired brain injuries and those that support them. The provider had set up a charity to support people with a brain injury. Additionally, they regularly organised learning and networking events for other providers and staff. These events enabled organisations and staff to share learning around topics such as finance and therapy, ensuring that the sector had access to up to date information and learning. The provider carried out monthly learning sessions for staff, where they would discuss any new or innovative ways to support people. The provider ensured people and their families were involved in evaluating the service. Staff told us they were actively and continuously encouraged by managers to share their thoughts and ideas for improvement and innovation. Staff felt managers provided protected time to listen and there was a strong sense of trust and shared ethos between them. The provider had strong external relationships which supported improvement and innovation. Staff at all levels understood the importance and value of working as a wider team to make improvements and innovations. One member of staff told us, “Collaboration is at the heart of my practice. I work closely with families, support teams, and professionals to ensure clients receive seamless, person-centred care.”