The examples below provide insight into how other Good or Outstanding rated services are succeeding in this area of inspection.
Use the filter to choose different types of examples or select based on related prompt.
Saving time and informing oversight via electronic governance monitoring system
The service used an electronic governance monitoring system meant that monitoring and management tasks were flagged and any areas for development could be monitored more easily than had been possible with the previous service development plans. This enabled the registered managers to make use of their time more effectively and ensured a robust framework for organisational oversight.
Read more about the service here.
Care provider: Dimensions Dorset West
Date published: January 2023
Improving business continuity and incident management plans
Valerie Manor had a major incident involving an external contractor which required incident management on site. Although the management of the incident went well, we’ve used this to further improve our business continuity and incident management plans.
The incident management used the expertise of the incident controller on site (nominated individual/director) who liaised with all staff, the insurance company, our health and safety advisors, the local authority and the external company. This began with a debrief with staff, residents and relatives and discussion around what could be done differently or be changed for any future events. The review and analysis of this incident took several months but has made everyone confident with our incident control systems and the business continuity we have in place.
One of the major changes that was implemented was a one-page summary for incident control if the nominated individual/director wasn’t available, with all relevant contact numbers for the specialist that could be involved 24hrs a day/365 days a year. This developed into a folder which was named ‘incident folder’ that had a note pad and contact numbers that could be used in an emergency so that an accurate timeline could be recorded.
Read more about this service here.
Care provider: Valerie Manor
Date published: November 2021
How to embrace technology in social care
This film by TEC Services Association (TSA), the industry and advisory body for technology enabled care, highlights how social care providers can embrace technology in their organisation for better outcomes for both service users and care professionals.
Care provider: TEC Services Association
Date published: July 2021
How my manager supported me
In this one-minute audio clip from the Care Exchange podcast, Joseph Hughes explains how six years of support enabled him to become an outstanding manager. Joseph. Who’s now at City Care Partnership, also received hugely valuable support from his first social care employer, Creative Support.
You can listen to the full podcast here and access our latest episodes of The Care Exchange here.
You can read the related CQC inspection report here.
Care provider: City Care Partnership Ltd
Date published: May 2021
Why wouldn’t you value your staff?
In this one-minute audio clip from the Care Exchange podcast, Carly Rochester explains her approach to valuing her staff and empowering her staff to speak up.
You can listen to the full podcast here and access our latest episodes of The Care Exchange here.
Read more about Carly's service here.
Care provider: Lodge Group Care
Date published: March 2021
How we support our staff
In this two-minute audio clip from the Care Exchange podcast, Sue Anne Nnamani explains how she supports and gets to know staff in her role as a registered manager.
You can listen to the full podcast here and access our latest episodes of The Care Exchange here.
Read more about the service here.
Care provider: Priscilla Wakefield House
Date published: December 2020
Challenges empower us to achieve
I attended the Skills for Care Well-led programme early this year. From this, I learned a lot about leading high performing teams, but also it was great to be able to share your knowledge, and actually feel that I’m not alone as a leader.
As they say, ‘it’s tough at the top’, and for registered managers or nominated individuals, it can be a lonely role. For me and my business partner, we’ve built a team based on values. The formula of values-based recruitment goes a long way to achieving the goals set by your organisation. We’ve created new posts within the team, are growing and are lucky to be developing branches into other areas.
In any aspect of what role you do in a care business, those who are on the front line need to feel valued, supported and led to deliver outstanding care. Those who lead their teams well overcome challenges breaking through barriers, and ultimately achieve more. Nothing is more rewarding than the whole team celebrating those wins. Set some goals, visualise what you’ve already achieved and feel it. Bring your team together and go and make a footprint of those successes.
Read more from this blog here.
Read more about the service here.
Care provider: Salus Care
Date published: July 2020
Offering equal opportunities to employees
Lifeways Group, an apprenticeship levy payer, is one of the UK’s leading providers of support services for people with diverse and often complex needs. They currently provide learning opportunities for Adult Care Worker (Level 2), Lead Adult Care Worker (Level 3), and Leader in Adult Care (Level 5) and are looking at a range of other qualifications for support functions within the organisation such as operations/departmental manager, digital learning design and regulatory compliance officer.
We’re in a sector where qualifications are important. We want all our staff to be highly qualified to provide the best quality care and this is sponsored by the executive team. For those working in supportive roles, rounded learning is absolutely essential. The qualifications gained as part of the apprenticeship complement their existing training and give them more confidence, which leads to a higher quality of care.
Care provider: Lifeways Group
Date published: February 2020
Supporting new managers from the outset is key
I saw the ‘new registered manager’s pilot’ advertised by Skills for Care in my membership newsletter. As a new manager, I understood a lot about what my role entailed. Having worked my way up from support worker to key worker to deputy and then manager, I knew my service inside out, but I didn’t have a lot of experience as a manager. I thought I’d benefit from support and guidance and from spending time with other managers in the same situation.
To any employer with a new manager, I’d say give your registered manager the support they need. Give them regular supervision and give them guidance. Just because someone’s a registered manager, it doesn’t mean they know it all; they still need help.
To new registered managers, I’d say look after yourself and your wellbeing, remember to delegate, don’t overwhelm yourself and be reactive and adapt to change – it’s rare that my days go as expected!
Care provider: Solar Care Homes
Date published: July 2019
Digital transition programme
The provider had recruited a digital project manager to help develop and support its digitisation. Feedback was taken from staff when developing a new, bespoke IT system. The aim of the project was to move to a paperless environment and included the development of the care worker community for staff to access policies, guidance and social forums and also the migration to an electronic care planning system.
There was a phased programme of work where the next steps were to make the care plans available to people and their relatives electronically. A a 'client community' was also launched, where people and their relatives could access changes to medicines, notes, upcoming appointments and record incidents.
Read more about the service here.
Care provider: The Good Care Group
Date published: April 2019
Resident groups working closely with the board
The home had a residents’ group and residents were also committee members on the charitable board that runs the home. The deputy chairperson is currently one of the residents. The board has all the minutes from the residents’ meetings and the most recent request had been to offer people wine on a daily basis as standard.
Care provider: Anonymous
Date published: April 2018
Providing professional supervision
Within our service, the registered manager receives management supervision which enables the nominated individual to discuss all aspects of the services. This is one of the ways to be assured that services are being delivered to a good quality standard. It also provides information about a range of indicators that may show areas of possible concern, such as high sickness levels, high staff turnover and an increase in complaints.
The registered manager also receives professional supervision which provides regular contact between a supervisor and a registered manager, in which to monitor and reflect on practice, review and prioritise work, provide guidance and support and identify areas of professional development. It’s an accountable, two-way process that supports, motivates and enables the development of good practice for individual registered managers. As a result, good professional supervision improves the quality of service provided by the organisation.
Read more about the service here.
Care provider: Simply Care (UK) Ltd
Date published: April 2018
Provider investment
One of our biggest strengths is the investment and support the provider gives us. Nothing is too big; the general rule is ‘if it will benefit the people we support, then buy/do it’. This is rare and the impact this has on people and staff can’t be expressed but can be measured.
Read more about the service here.
Care provider: Thistle Hill Hall (Debdale Specialist Care Ltd)
Date published: April 2018
Ensure your senior team work well together
We’ve achieved significant results from supporting all our team leaders to work together as one team, so everyone providing services gets the same information at the same time, with the same expectations being made of them. This means that everyone understands their role in delivering good care and support services.
We see the team leaders as our agents to deliver the fundamental standards. We link the fundamental standards to our quality assurance process ensuring a synergy of activity and compliance.
Read more about this service here.
Care provider: Alternative Futures Group
Date published: April 2018
A range of support for managers from senior leaders and trustees
Our CEO attends some of our care home meetings, engaging with employees and offering insight and support when and where required. Members from each of our head office teams come out to visit us and ensure they’re in regular contact with us via telephone and email.
Our trustees visit the care home on an annual basis. They ensure that they communicate with us directly to congratulate us on any successes we have. Our trustees are also involved in the budget setting of future developments and contracts. There are two Brunelcare manager away days held a year. These are held externally and are hosted by our senior management team. It’s an opportunity for all managers from across the organisation to come together.
Read more about this service here.
Care provider: Brunelcare’s Deerhurst Care Home (with Nursing)
Date published: April 2018
Digital innovations to track the quality of care
Our management team use native applications on their mobile devices and have a real-time view of every service. They receive alerts from the services directly, as and when data is captured.
Our systems are very reactive and are programmed to inform managers of any information that falls outside the parameters of the benchmark defined. Managers are able to trust that the applications can be relied upon to notify them of any concerning information which is inputted onto the application by staff in our satellite services.
Read more about this service here.
Care provider: LDC Care Company Ltd
Date published: April 2018
Creating posts to recognise quality
In order to retain very experienced members of staff, we created new posts; one higher carer between carer and senior, and one care co-ordinator, which is one level beyond senior. This enabled retention of the best quality staff and a feeling of being valued and significant within the organisation.
Care provider: Ebury Court Residential Care Home