London Care (Westminster)

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 inspection we rated this key question requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care. The service had made improvements to assessing and mitigating risks to the health and safety of people using the service. They had also made improvements to ensure systems and processes were being operated effectively to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. Staff and leaders ensured records regarding people’s care and the management of the service were accurate and up to date. The staff and management worked well with external professionals. Staff felt confident to speak up and were positive about the support they received from the whole management team. There was an open and inclusive workforce, which promoted people and staffs’ equity of experience and celebrated diversity. The provider had an effective process for evidencing lessons learnt. There were effective quality assurance processes and systems were in place to monitor and audit the quality of the service.

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 management team confirmed they had a clearly stated direction and culture, which was shared among all staff throughout the organisation. They told us the organisation’s vision and values were developed and reviewed in collaboration with people who used the service, staff and external partners. Staff and the management team said the culture within the service was positive, inclusive and compassionate, which helped build trust and understanding between the service and people using it. Staff and the management team demonstrated a well-developed understanding of equality, diversity, and human rights, and they prioritised safe, high-quality and compassionate care. Equality and diversity were actively promoted and the causes of any workforce inequality were quickly identified, and action taken to address the issues. One member of staff told us, “The managers and coordinators at London Care Westminster never forget to remind us of our duties and responsibilities to our service users including Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitments which are very important to the services we give.”

The provider had effective systems and processes in place to promote a shared direction and culture. This enabled staff at all levels to understand the organisation’s vision and values and recognise how their roles helped achieve these. There was active engagement with people and staff. Staff meetings also took place frequently, which helped ensure staff and the management team shared ideas and suggestions for improvements.

Staff gave positive feedback about the management and the culture of the service. Staff said they could talk to the office staff and the management team at any point and felt involved and included in the day to day running of the service and any changes that occurred. Staff said they had regular team meetings, as well as 1-1 support and supervisions, which provided opportunities for discussing any issues with the service and how to make improvements. One member of staff told us, “I am happy to inform you that my coordinator [name] has worked closely with me, with lots of encouragement and support. Despite the stress I bring to them, [name] will never send me away. [Name] is also always ready to listen and guide me through.” Another member of staff said, “The management. They are really helpful people. Especially my manager [name]. [Name] is such an amazing manager. They are always there to help me during the day and late in the evening. They quickly respond to feedback, emails and phone calls. They also sort things out promptly, without any hesitation. Even if I send [name] an email late in the evening, as I work bit late, I always get a reply on the same day. [Name] is such a hardworking manager, but I also need to mention [6 other names]. These supervisors are absolutely hardworking people and I give them all 5 stars.” Other staff made comments such as, “The managers and coordinators are very accessible and always ready to listen to me. They are very supportive and friendly too. Just a phone call and I am stress free.” And, “I can say with full confidence it’s the best place to work. The office team support us at every step. Especially I would like to mention my co-ordinator [name], who helps me at every point. They are very efficient and confident at their job. Whenever I need help they are there. Also, my supervisor [name] is always available whenever I need them in the field. All the team of London Care are very helpful and the work culture

The provider had an effective management and leadership structure in place. We saw the management team worked well together and decisions were only made after consultation with the rest of the staff team. The management team knew their roles, responsibilities and expectations. Regular meetings were held to ensure areas for improvement were assigned to relevant staff members and actioned.

The staff and management team said that everyone worked within a culture of openness, honesty, and transparency. Staff were empowered to drive improvement and encouraged to raise concerns when needed. Staff said they were confident the management team would take appropriate actions to address any concerns and keep people safe whenever necessary. One member of staff told us, “They are supportive. My coordinator and registered manager have an open-door policy; you can speak to anyone. It’s nice; you don’t feel scared.” Another member of staff said, “It’s a good company. They promote staff within the company; they listen to you if you have issues or questions, and they are friendly. That’s why I have been with them for 3 years.” A further staff member told us, “They [management] speak to us about things, especially when we raise concerns about service users. They guide us about issues, with reminders on tasks. They tell us safeguarding principles we need to uphold.”

The service had effective systems and processes in place to help ensure people knew how and felt confident to speak up, raise concerns and whistle-blow, without fear of retribution. We saw the service had a whistleblowing policy, which was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.

The management team provided effective and proactive ways to engage with and involve staff, with a focus on hearing their voices and listening. Staff told us they felt supported to develop their skills and knowledge and were offered training to help with career development. Other staff told us they felt the culture of the organisation was fair and open. One said, “I would say they are fair, and everyone get the same level of treatment.” Another member of staff told us, “Number one, there is no organisational abuse [for staff or people using the service].” A further staff member said, “I feel they [management] are running a good service. I am new in the country, and I find them very co-operative and professional.”

The management team listened to feedback from staff through various channels such as quality surveys and team meetings. This ensured the management team and provider promoted an inclusive and fair culture throughout the service.

Throughout this assessment, the registered manager and the wider management team demonstrated that they had the skills and knowledge to provide a well-led service. They had a clear understanding of their responsibilities and were familiar with guidance for providers on meeting the regulations. All the staff we spoke with told us they felt the service was well managed and said the management team were very approachable and supportive. One member of staff told us, “The service is well led, and I feel they are running it well. If I have any problems, I let them know and my line manager helps with any issues.” Other staff made comments such as, “They give us regular clients, so you see the same people. Everything about the client is on the phone and they give details about them, so you know what to do. Our rota is early, so we know where we are going to.” And, “They support us a lot and are always there for us. They give everyone a welcoming hand.” Another member of staff emailed us separately with a statement that simply said, “I am just letting you know London Care – Westminster are amazing!”

The provider’s processes and systems stored people's risk assessments, care plans, and daily logs. Data was robustly stored, collated and used to update and improve the service provided. Any areas needing improvement were then addressed. There were thorough audits, and the complaints system was regularly monitored, which enabled staff and the provider to learn from and improve the service. People, their relatives and staff provided regular feedback to identify if people were receiving the care and support, they needed.

Most people and their relatives spoke positively about the service and the care and support provided. They told us that staff helped enable people to be at the centre of their own care and be as independent as possible. One person told us their care package had needed to be set up very quickly. The said, “They [London Care and social services] set it up very quickly and someone came very quickly. They were on the ball, I thought I had to wait for months. By the next week I had something in place.” A person’s relative told us, “They take [relative] to the day centre. They wheel [relative] and put them on the bus. They make the afternoon visit earlier so [relative] can attend the day centre. There is a concert/music every month there. People also confirmed that the service worked well with other professionals when needed. One person’s relative told us, “They [London Care] liaise with myself first and I would make the appropriate call, whether it be Doctor, GP, hospital social services etc.” A person’s representative explained, “There is a liaison officer [for London Care] that comes to [sheltered housing complex] to review [person]’s care package. They make an appointment with me regarding [person]’s reviews and social services also call me regarding reviews.”

External partners spoke positively about the working relationship they had with the service. They confirmed the service worked hard to address any shortfalls and make improvements where needed.

The provider sign-posted people and their relatives to other organisations that may be able to support people to maintain, and achieve further independence outside the service provided, and to prevent and minimise social isolation. This helped to improve people's quality of life and promote their social inclusion. Any changes to people's health, medical conditions, or general welfare were appropriately shared with healthcare professionals, and recorded in their care plans. The service supported people to access and be involved in the community involvement as much as possible and in accordance with people’s individual choices. People’s care and support plans demonstrated that people were referred to appropriate healthcare professionals when needed. Information and guidance from external healthcare professionals was shared with care staff to help ensure consistency in providing care and support.

The staff and management team told us how they contributed to making improvements to the service. Staff said they were encouraged to put forward improvement ideas and, those we spoke with, said they trusted the management team to listen and act. Staff told us that if things went wrong, the issues were discussed with staff during team meetings and individual support and supervisions. One member of staff told us, “They [management team] always share valuable information to enhance the work environment, avoid problems and to prevent any troubles from occurring again.” Another staff member said, “We get an email or have a meeting to discuss any concerns, to improve the service. The whole team are always learning from ‘lessons learned’.” A further member of staff said, “When things go wrong, it’s very important to share information openly and honestly so that staff can learn from mistakes.”

The service had effective systems and processes in place to help ensure that lessons were learnt when things went wrong. We noted that any issues were raised and discussed in team meetings, as well as during staff’s supervision sessions. We found that lessons had been learned from mistakes and shortfalls in the past and appropriate action had been taken to ensure improvements were made and maintained.