Supreme Care Services Limited

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• 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

We assessed all 7 quality statements in the well led key question and found areas of good practice. Our rating for the key question has changed from requires improvement, to good. The management team had seen a long period of consistency and sustainability. We found that processes meant the management had a clear picture of the performance of the service. We saw evidence of action taken in response to lessons learnt from quality assurance checks. The governance team were seen to be planning further improvements to recording and monitoring care electronically. Staff, people and relatives reported to have confidence in the management team. External professionals gave positive feedback about the leadership of the service and working together to achieve good outcomes for people.

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.

We saw that the culture of openness and teamwork was reinforced through team meetings, wider service meetings, individual one to one meetings and in the programme of induction and return to work interviews. We saw improvements had been made since the last inspection and plans were in place to continue improving systems to enhance efficiency. We saw that induction topics covered ‘instilling knowledge of the organisation and culture’ which meant that new recruits were immediately introduced to the ethos of the service.

When speaking with staff we identified a theme of support and a focus on care. Staff told us they felt the staffing and leadership team were all approachable. Staff told us they were involved in the direction of the service. One staff member told us, “they advise of anything that they are looking to improve on or decisions that they have made at our town hall meeting”. The registered manager told us that with the aim of sharing a common culture and focus, good practice is shared and embedded, including when the outcome has not been positive. They encourage openness and honesty and told us “We encourage staff and reassure that there is no comeback from anything that they share.”

The leadership team had been stable for some time and was headed by a registered manager and a branch manager. They worked in unison to support the service, having frequent meetings and ongoing communication. Both had previous experience in care delivery and had the skills to deliver their roles effectively. Staff were recognised for their contributions within team meetings and one-to-one supervision meetings. The management team arranged team building and integrating activities amongst the workforce.

Staff told us they felt included and cared about with their needs considered. One staff member told us, “I usually have a supervision meeting to see how things are going and if I have any difficulties or challenges”. Another staff member told us, “My manager is fantastic my branch is amazing, they look after us so well”. Staff told us they felt included in decisions made within the service and consulted with about changes. The registered manager told us that they integrate new members to the team. They told us, “We have welcome parties for new staff, and we all share Christmas gifts”.

The registered manager told us they regularly encouraged staff to speak up within team meetings and to feel comfortable to communicate anything they feel the need to. They had also implemented ways staff could speak up anonymously such as an anonymous box that staff used to write down what they may not feel comfortable saying face to face. Staff told us they felt the management were approachable.

The service had a whistle-blowing policy in place which meant staff knew how they could raise a concern and be supported in doing so. Staff meetings as a team and on a one-to-one basis encouraged two way conversation and input from the whole staff team.

We saw that application forms had a confidential health questionnaire for potential staff to disclose any needs, it also explained the Equality Policy and confirmation people will be given the same treatment. Interview questions cover staff understanding of Equal Opportunities which promotes an equal culture in the workplace. The policy declares adherence to the relevant legislation and a commitment to making reasonable adjustments for people who need it, including supporting Neurodivergence amongst the workforce.

The registered manager told us there were flexible working arrangements in place and rotas were planned to support peoples needs as well as staff and what was practical for them. The registered manager told us “We encourage diverse backgrounds and ethnicity in carers and office staff. We also have a lot of male carers now.”

The current manager has been in post since 2020 and has shown a positive track record in improvements which we saw in the evidence we gathered. Audits showed trends of identified areas for improvement and an appropriate response to achieve improvements. The registered manager told us about the electronic system “There are live feeds when carers sign in at the call. It helps us to identify where extra time is needed. We are wanting to go digital for medication to prevent errors.”

Involved professionals did not report any concerns and reported that they felt the service worked with them collaboratively.

The registered manager explained that there was open and consistent communication between the service, the local authority and the people they supported. They said “We shared everything with the local authority, along with the service user and next of kin”. The registered manager also told us that the service worked in partnership with other branches of Supreme Care Services to mitigate business continuity issues and shared experiences and outcomes.

Involved professionals did not report any concerns and reported that they felt the service worked with them collaboratively.

Incidents and accident reports showed that the provider took responsive action in working in partnership with the local authority and shared information to monitor and be more responsive in partnership with them.

Relatives and people did not raise any concerns for the service not working with other professionals such as the GP and social care services. They told us they felt involved in processes and decisions made. One relative told us, "it was arranged between mums GP and [Local Authority]. I was able to speak on mum’s behalf and advise of what she needed and her likes and dislikes."

The registered manager told us there had been a recent discussion about plans to implement a system to improve record keeping and monitoring of the quality of care. They also told us that staff were encouraged to share good practice. The performance of the service was monitored through key performance indicators so that improvements could be recorded.

There were regular meetings between the regional director, registered manager and branch manager to discuss current topics and focus on improvements.