Equicare 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

The service was well-led. There had been improvements to the way the service was run, which was reflected in the provider's own audits and feedback from stakeholders. There was a positive culture and staff felt valued and listened to. The provider had plans for further improvements and ways to develop the service. We did not assess all the quality statements within this key question. We did not identify concerns relating to the areas which we judged as being met at our last inspection.

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 provider had a business continuity plan which helped them to plan for any adverse events and plan for the growth and development of the service. They also had a continuity plan for dealing with data and cyber issues. Policies and procedures were in place for a range of areas. These were accessible to staff. These reflected national guidance, legislation, and good practice. The management team held regular meetings to discuss the service together. They reviewed feedback from people and staff, planned staff training and discussed risks within the service. The provider had developed an action plan which included information identified through audits, complaints or feedback. The plan showed they had considered what action needed to be taken to improve the service. These actions were reviewed and monitored. The provider facilitated regular staff meetings. These included guidance and shared learning, as well as discussing areas for improvement and celebrating successes.

Staff told us there was a positive culture at the service. They recommended the care agency as a good place to work and found managers supportive and kind. People using the service and other stakeholders had completed online reviews about the service. These were positive and showed people had good relationships with their care workers and felt their needs were met.

The management team held regular meetings to discuss the service together. They reviewed feedback from people and staff, planned staff training and discussed risks within the service. The provider had developed an action plan which included information identified through audits, complaints or feedback. The plan showed they had considered what action needed to be taken to improve the service. These actions were reviewed and monitored. The management team undertook regular training updates.

The staff spoke positively about the management team. They felt they had enough support, guidance and information to provide good care. They also felt supported in their role and workplace development. The registered manager and nominated individual who both owned the service, were able to speak knowledgably about good care and how they strived to ensure people received this.

Staff understood the whistle blowing procedure. They told us they were happy to speak up if they had any concerns and they felt they would be listened to, and the concerns acted on.

The provider had policies and procedures for staff to whistle blow and people to raise concerns.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

Staff felt the service was well managed. Their comments included, ''The managers are supportive'', ''The agency is very good and the staff are cooperative'' and ''Equicare is a good company.''

There were systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service. These included audits of care and people's experience, spot checks on staff and lessons learnt when things went wrong. The management team held regular meetings to discuss the service together. They reviewed feedback from people and staff, planned staff training and discussed risks within the service. The provider had developed an action plan which included information identified through audits, complaints or feedback. The plan showed they had considered what action needed to be taken to improve the service. These actions were reviewed and monitored. The provider had an improvement plan which included ensuring all staff undertook training about autism and learning disabilities and looked at ways to improve care plans to make these more accessible for children. The provider had a tracker where they could look at complaints, accidents, incidents, adverse events, staffing and positive feedback. This was used to monitor the service. The provide had systems to monitor the service was being run effectively. These alerted them to areas of concern – for example, when staff needed supervisions, spot checks or appraisals. The provider had a business continuity plan which helped them to plan for any adverse events and plan for the growth and development of the service. They also had a continuity plan for dealing with data and cyber issues. Policies and procedures in place for a range of areas. These are accessible to staff. These reflect national guidance, legislation, and good practice.

People were supported to access a range of different services with staff.

The registered manager told us they worked closely with different professionals who supported people, including therapists. They told us the staff learnt from these professionals and obtained guidance on best practice.

The provider had social media accounts and a website where they shared news and information. The provider liaised with other professionals and alerted them when people needed extra support.

External professionals who we spoke with told us the care agency worked well with them. Their comments included, ''We have good communication channels with the team at Equicare'', ''The management team, are happy to join forums where we can update them'', ''The managers are open to hearing issues and will address these promptly'' and ''I have received positive feedback about the service. The carers are good at exploring local resources and have been creative in delivering packages of care.''

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.