Blakewater Homecare Services 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.

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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. There was a strong positive culture where people were central to their support. Person centred care was the key focus and staff creatively looked for new innovations that supported their independence. Core values were the foundation of the service and staff and leaders worked in line with them.

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. The providers governance framework ensured managers and staff were clear about the expectations of the provider and regulatory requirements were fully understood. People and relatives knew the registered manager and felt they could contact the office if they needed to. People told us the registered manager listened to them. One relative said, “It’s well run, there’s really nothing to improve. It’s everything I could expect.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistle blowing policy which supported staff to raise concerns about any aspect of the service. The policy also detailed what staff could do if they did not feel the provider listened to their concerns. Staff we spoke with told us the management team were extremely supportive, and they had confidence that any concerns would be actioned in a timely way. One staff member said, “The manager wants things to be right for people They would definitely listen.”

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 created an environment where individual differences and the contributions of all employees were recognised and valued. Right from the application process, staff were treated equally and given the same opportunities to develop their role. Staff were supported to celebrate religious celebrations and rosters were amended to ensure caring duties and appointments could be attended. One staff member said, “I have to say they [manager] are so supportive and understanding. Honestly, I could not ask for anywhere better to work, I am happy going to work.”

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. Spot checks were carried out to ensure staff were working in line with policies and procedures. The provider used these checks to speak with people and their relatives and find out their views about the care and support provided. Other auditing tools were used to ensure the provider’s expected standards were maintained. Any concerns raised were identified and actioned in a timely way.

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. Professionals working alongside the provider were complimentary about the support people received. Staff were able to recognise when people required input from other professionals and ensured support was obtained.

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 carried out satisfaction surveys and gave people and their families several opportunities to share their feedback. Intelligence gathered was used to improve the service. The management team supported staff to speak up with innovative ideas and suggestions to improve the service.