Great North Home Care Limited

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

A strong governance system was in place to monitor the quality of service provision. The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. There was an emphasis on learning and improving throughout the service. People, their relatives and staff were asked for their views and experiences of the service. Feedback was listened to and addressed. Staff and managers worked in partnership with visiting health and social care professionals which provided good outcomes for people. There was a capable and compassionate management team who, with staff, worked to ensure good quality care for people in partnership with external professionals. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team. The service had accessible policies and procedures that staff were aware of and kept updated with. The provider demonstrated that it valued diversity in its workforce and worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for its staff.

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.

Staff and leaders shared the values and vision of the organisation. New staff received support and training which helped them to show those values in their daily work with people. Staff we spoke with explained the values of caring, passionate, teamwork which were at the centre of their day-to-day work. Staff told us there was team working and they felt supported by colleagues and management. Most felt it was a good organisation to work for and would recommend the service as a place to work. Staff member’s comments included, “Great North Home Care is one of the best companies I have worked for, they are very supportive”, “It is a top-notch company. The manager also visits all the clients”, and “Management are compassionate, care is a priority for them and that is expected of the team.”

The policies and procedures the provider had put in place were based on providing transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and local communities. New staff received support and training which helped them to show those values in their daily work with people. The quality and vision of the service was regularly discussed with staff during a range of meetings.

Staff told us there was good leadership of the service. Feedback from staff demonstrated leadership in the service was based on inclusivity and how the management team understood the context in which care was delivered and how that had a positive impact on the culture and values of the service. Staff told us they thought the registered manager led by example and they had the skills, knowledge and experience to manage the service. Their comments included, “Managers are very accessible, they are very understanding, they show consideration for staff”, “I enjoy working at the service, management are fantastic. They support and appreciate staff effort”, and “The Company is committed to staff welfare.”

Policies and processes showed how the registered manager and their team shared good practice amongst meetings, audits and feedback captured good examples of a positive culture where people were happy with the service. Systems promoted a positive, person-centred culture to benefit people using the service. People's lived experience was the focus of care. People were listened to and engaged with, and they received person-centred care.

Staff were confident to raise issues with the registered manager and senior staff, who were staff ambassadors. They felt any concerns would be addressed and investigated. They felt their views were valued and they confirmed they were listened to. Their comments included, “I get a good response to any concerns raised, manager’s act on concerns”, and “Managers are very accessible, they are easy to contact. I think any concerns are listened to and acted on.”

Processes were in place for staff and people to speak up. The provider had a complaints procedure and a clear whistle blowing policy. Staff could raise concerns and the information about how to do this was available in the service and within the staff handbook. There were engagement surveys sent to people using the service, and staff. Regular staff meetings took place, and a telephone App was also used to provide regular updates to staff.

Staff told us they felt valued and respected in their roles. They felt well-supported by the management, both personally and professionally. Staff told us they were able to ask for reasonable adjustments to be made to their working patterns for specific needs, for example to incorporate family commitments or caring responsibilities. A staff member commented, “Management encourage staff to be mindful of work/life balance. They will arrange a flexible working pattern if needed” and “Staff welfare is considered.”

Policies and practices were in place to promote and maintain a workforce in which equality, equity and exclusivity prevailed. Systems were in place to ensure person-centred care was provided. The service had policies in place to support fair and inclusive recruitment, induction and training for all staff. Staff told us they had access to training and development opportunities and were able to request any additional support required. Processes were in place to help ensure the whole staff team had the skills to manage their work in line with their job descriptions and they were supported to work effectively.

The service demonstrated effective processes in relation to responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and governance. Staff and leaders knew their responsibilities around quality and safety monitoring and governance. The registered manager with staff regularly reviewed the systems and processes to determine if improvements could be made. The area manager and senior staff could clearly explain governance systems in the service and their individual responsibilities.

There were effective governance systems in place. Regular audits and checks were carried out in the main areas of the service, such as around care records, health and safety, staff practice. The registered manager completed reviews of quality and safety of the service in line with regulatory requirements.

People told us the service worked with other agencies so people could access appropriate help and support when required. A relative told us, “Staff take [Name] to the dentist and the hospital, and they will wait with them. I could not manage without them.”

Staff understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership. Staff and managers explained how they worked with healthcare, social care and community partners. They had good knowledge of the local services and support systems and how to access them. Staff told us they had good working relationships with community partners to ensure people's needs were met holistically.

External professionals told us the service had developed good links with them and they provided positive feedback about working with the service. A professional commented, “Great North Home Care provide support for a person I work with. The support worker has been amazing and has always gone above and beyond to support this person. They have made a huge difference for this person.”

Staff understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They engaged with a range of different healthcare professionals and local community groups. Referrals were made in a timely manner to relevant people to help ensure the care and treatment needs of people using the service were met. There was evidence that the management team and staff had a willingness to work with partner agencies.

Staff told us there were opportunities for training and development. They felt there was a focus on learning and improving throughout the service. The service demonstrated it focused on continuous learning and encouraged ways of delivering good outcomes and quality of life for people. A staff member commented, “There is a good standard of training we do mandatory and person-specific training where needed", and "Training includes knowledge checks to ensure staff have understood correctly.”

The provider had systems in place to ensure learning and improvement was considered within audits, staff meetings and quality assurance activities. There was evidence of improvements that had been made to the service as a result of the checks, audits and people, relative and staff feedback. Processes to ensure that learning happened when things went wrong, and from examples of good practice were well- established. Quality assurance arrangements were in place to monitor the internal governance and identified any potential shortfalls and monitored actions to reflect and improve the service on an ongoing basis.