Grossdale Care Agency Also known as Fountain of Hope Care Agency

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. This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area.

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.

The service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. The provider implemented a shared direction and culture for the staff team based on the principles of diversity, equality and human rights, inclusion and engagement. They understood the challenges and the needs of people in their communities. The director told us they wanted the service to provide care that was tailored to people. They said, “We want to be there for people, in any way, partnership working with other multi-disciplinary teams to give people the best care. Staff have to demonstrate professionalism, empathy, respect and dignity and be exemplary in their behaviour.” The director and registered manager were committed to recruiting and developing staff who could demonstrate these values.

The service 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 registered manager was supported in the day to day management of the service by the nominated individual. People and relatives spoke positively about the service and the management team. They told us they were treated with respect and understanding. A relative said, “They do a good job. The care is amazing and I have no concerns about the care provider.” Staff were also positive about the management team and told us they were compassionate and cared for the staff and people they supported.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff said they were able to speak with either the registered manager or director and said they were approachable and open to discuss issues. Staff felt they would be listened to respected should they give feedback or raise any concerns. People and relatives could contact the service at any time to speak with managers. They said they knew how to make complaints and felt there was a positive culture in the service, which welcomed feedback. The registered manager was available to speak with people or relatives and listen to concerns they raised.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. Staff felt they were treated fairly by managers, and worked well with them as a team. Staff completed training in equality and diversity and had an understanding of what it meant. Recruitment and disciplinary processes were in place and ensured there was no disadvantage based on staff's specific protected equality characteristics. The provider had processes to ensure an inclusive workplace where staff were treated and supported as individuals.

The service did not always have effective governance systems in place.

There were systems to monitor the quality of care people received, which helped to identify if any improvements could be made. These included observations of staff competency, telephone monitoring calls to people or visits, audits and team meetings. At our last inspection we recommended the provider follow best practice guidance on quality assurance and completing the checks and audits stated in their policy and plan. We saw that whilst some improvements had been made further improvements were still required. For example, records were up to date and there was a clear goal towards identifying key areas such as staff training, communication, technology use and satisfaction of people using the service. However, care plans contained errors that had not been identified through checks carried out by the management team.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. The service worked well with people, families and professionals. The service was small, and the registered manager together with the director was able to network and contact external organisations, such as the local authority, for advice, guidance and developments within the health and social care sector.

Professionals we contacted provided positive feedback about the service.

There were systems to monitor the quality of care people received, which helped to identify if any improvements could be made. These included observations of staff competency, telephone monitoring calls to people or visits, audits and team meetings. At our last inspection we recommended the provider follow best practice guidance on quality assurance and completing the checks and audits stated in their policy and plan. We saw that whilst some improvements had been made further improvements were still required. For example, records were up to date and there was a clear goal towards identifying key areas such as staff training, communication, technology use and satisfaction of people using the service. However, care plans contained errors that had not been identified through checks carried out by the management team.

The service 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 contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

People and staff confirmed that there was a continued focus on improving people’s care and support. Staff told us they attended team meetings with the management team to discuss improvements where needed. A service improvement plan had been developed by the managers to help drive continuous improvements. For example, improving communication between the provider and people and relatives. The provider planned to do this by implementing a real-time digital call monitoring system for staff to log care updates and for family members to access them.