Helping Hands Hertford

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

People, relatives and staff all offered positive feedback about their experiences of the service. They told us that the registered manager was approachable, supportive and receptive to any feedback they gave. The provider had a structured quality assurance system in place, with checks and audits routinely being completed to monitor the performance of the service. Information was freely shared with staff to give feedback, inform of any changes and to recognise good practice. Systems in place enabled the registered manager to have effective oversight and take action where improvements or changes were needed. They were committed to delivering a high-quality service to people and was open the feedback offered during the assessment process.

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.

Staff gave positive feedback about working at the service. They told us that the registered manager and senior staff were supportive, and they felt valued. One member of staff told us, “I feel valued and part of a friendly team.”

The provider has an agreed set of values, supported by up to date polices which reflected the ethos. Meetings were held for staff to receive information and feedback, and to share their views and opinions. Staff also used a secure messaging service to exchange information.

Staff were positive about the management of the service. They gave feedback that senior staff were approachable and supportive. One member of staff told us, “My current manager has been wonderful to work with. [They are] always available, follows through with whatever I have asked for in a timely manner, has a lot of patience and understanding, goes above and beyond when dealing with a loss of office administration and taken on several roles above [their] managerial job.”

The provider has a system in place to ensure leaders were supported in their roles. The registered manager confirmed they received frequent supervision which supported their personal development as well as operational performance. The registered manager reported the outcomes of their frequent checks and audits at the service to the provider. This enabled them to ensure that the service was running safely, meeting expectations and take any action identified as needed.

Staff told us they were able to speak up and were encouraged to raise any questions or share concerns. One member of staff told us, “I feel we are well looked after as a team. If there is anything I need or questions I have, it is quickly answered, and my needs are met.” Another member of staff told us, “I feel able to speak up at work and do so often. I’ve never had to whistle blow but am aware of the policy.”

The provider had a whistleblower policy in place, with processes in place to support staff. The registered manager confirmed that no recent whistleblowing reports had been received.

Staff told us they felt valued and were treated equally. One member of staff told us, “Yes, I feel valued and everyone is treated equally. I feel happy working for the company.” Another member of staff told us, “Yes I feel very valued, by the staff, customers and work colleagues.”

The provider had a clear equality and diversity policy. Staff surveys were completed, with the outcomes and resulting actions shared. Consistent spot checks, supervision and appraisals ensured that all staff were treated fairly.

Staff knew their roles and responsibilities. They confirmed that, since the registered manager commenced their role, improvements had been made and they felt the service was more stable and delivering an improved service. One member of staff told us, “With regards to management at our Hertford Branch, there has been a lot of changes since I joined the team with various different managers, but it does now feel like we are heading in the right direction and the manager we have is supportive and answers every question that I have.”

The provider had a system of audits and checks in place which were completed by the registered manager and senior staff. Actions from these were included in improvement plans, however some of the inconsistencies within records had not been identified. The registered manager was receptive to all feedback offered and was committed to taking action to drive improvements.

People, and their relatives, spoke highly of how the service worked well with partners involved in providing care. One relative told us, “I can’t speak highly enough about the service regarding their interaction with [person’s health professional]. It is such a weight off our shoulders.” Another relative told us, “I have already recommended the service to someone. It is best service we have worked with so far.”

Staff were clear on the partners involved in each person’s care, and ways to contact them.

Feedback from partners was limited, however we saw relevant partners agency information was included in people’s care records.

The registered manager told us there was a system in place to ensure partnership working with health and social care professionals, and local partners but we found there was limited evidence available for us to confirm this.

Staff told us they had information shared with them and were provided with opportunities to discuss improvements. One person told us, “We have staff meetings where we discuss ideas and improvements and the office occasionally have afternoons where the carers can meet together in the office for discussions.” However, minutes from these meeting did not fully detail discussions held and we saw feedback from staff in the recent survey expressed this. The feedback stated, “I felt the recent meeting was a bit pointless. They mentioned a few things, I thought we would be able to air our feelings and views, we didn't get to do that. It was quite rushed.”

The quality assurance processes in place identified where learning and improvement was needed. Actions were recorded and planned for but not consistently completed. However, we saw that improvements had been made since the appointment of the registered manager and positive feedback from people and staff had increased.