DBAGZ SOLUTIONS LTD - BRIGHTON

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• 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. The registered manager had a focused person-centred vision and approach to the care they wished to provide. Quality assurance systems were in place that ensured there was oversight over the quality of the care being delivered. People and staff spoke positively about the registered manager’s approach.

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 registered manager showed a focused approach in ensuring people received good quality care. The registered manager said, "To give a service that is incomparable to none. Focussing on displaying full person-centred approaches in everything we do. Making sure everything we do I done with dignity and respect and in a very safe way. Our values are upheld greatly." Equality and Diversity training was in place for all staff to complete as part of their core training and completion compliance was high. Ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation captured within people's care plans. Records showed that consistent and regular supervisions and appraisals were undertaken, while inclusive staff meetings were held so staff could provide feedback and contribute. Managers and staff understood the diverse needs of the people they supported.

The registered manager was knowledgeable about issues and priorities for the quality of care of the service. They demonstrated a focus on providing person centred care and to monitor and manage the care and support for the people they supported. One staff member said, “He knows how to communicate, especially with the staff. He's not just an employer, he wants to be involved with care and to support staff.” The registered manager was known to people and people and their family members spoke warmly about their approach and response. One person said, “I find him brilliantly responsive. He's like one of the family. (The registered manager) is very, very good. He's nice. He's the best.” The registered manager said, “My aim is to give a service that is incomparable to none. Focussing on displaying full person-centred approaches in everything we do. Making sure everything we do is done with dignity and respect and in a very safe way.”

The registered manager encouraged an open service and office where staff could raise any issues about care and their roles. Staff were able to raise concerns directly with the Registered Manager. The leadership team carried out consistent and regular supervisions with staff to ensure that their views and feedback were heard. Staff received specific duty of candour training as part of their induction training programme. The provider had a detailed and thorough policy guiding staff on raising concerns, detailing pathways to speak up freely and for whistleblowing. This provided assurances for staff on the protection and support they will receive should they need to raise concerns.

The registered manager was clear on the approach to staff inclusion and equality, with a workforce of staff who came from diverse backgrounds. Many staff members were recruited from overseas. The registered manager said, "We have a mixture of religious backgrounds amongst staff. If someone request time off for religious reasons, we make sure we are flexible and empower. Treating each other with respect." The registered manager spoke about support to staff members who wished to celebrate the national day of their home country. For example, carers originating from Uganda would be provided with the time off from work to celebrate this. Staff had received Equality and Diversity Training as part of their training within the service. The provider ensured that protected characteristics of those they supported were also considered as part of this approach. The RM stated confirmed that they worked closely with one person with care that supported their religious needs. The registered manager stated that they took the mental health of their workforce seriously and confirmed they had a Mental Health counsellor in place should staff need that service. The registered manager said, "This is a free service. We make sure there is an opportunity to talk. We give them mental health awareness training to support people but also to support them. We offer free opportunities to develop. For example, if someone joined as a care worker, the opportunity for them step up the ladder."

The Registered Manager understood their regulatory responsibilities. A review of statutory notifications completed prior to on-site assessment confirmed that they complied with the process for reporting to local authorities. Quality assurance systems were in place to maintain oversight of peoples support and improve care delivery. The registered manager carried out regular Quality Reviews with people they supported and their loved ones. Evidence of these were reviewed by the inspector. Feedback from people within the reviews was positive about the support they received. There was a clear management structure in place, while staff understood their own roles and responsibilities well. Management maintained good oversight of the actions and performance of staff. Spot checks were completed with care staff to ensure compliance within their roles, while shadowing records viewed by inspector assessed new staffs’ progress during their induction stage. Monitoring of staff’s compliance with essential training they needed to undertake was carried out. Management ensured that they, and care staff, understood their responsibilities relating to people's information, records and confidentiality. As part of their induction and training, all staff had completed a General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) training. Secure electronic systems were used so that staff could access information they needed to support people effectively. The registered manager said, “We have a cloud storage system where we store client and staff information. Its password protected. Our computers and servers are protected. Of the documents we have lockable storage units.” Emergency contingency plans were in place.

Staff and leaders worked with partners and professionals in care to ensure effective joined up working. Appropriate referrals for specialist and health support had been made where relevant and needed. Staff worked collaboratively with partners to support care provision. The registered manager described a need to ensure that up to date care needs were established before committing to a new care package but that there was positive collaboration with partners. The registered manager said, “Information sharing is fairly good.” Feedback from partners within the local authority and healthcare professionals was positive on the approach of the service, the quality of care provided and working in partnership. One professional said, “Communicating with the care agency was effective and punctual as they would always have someone to answer the phone and were always accommodating to arrange joint visits with ourselves and the customer.” Another professional said, “The company have demonstrated that they can understand and communicate the nature of her changing support needs and have provided timely requests to changes needed within her support plan.

Staff and leaders had a consistent approach to improving care, and processes were in place to achieve this. Quality assurance systems, reviews, surveys and spot checks were completed to assess the quality of service delivery and people's experiences. People and their relatives told us they were involved in these. Processes were in place to ensure learning when things go wrong. Systems were in place for staff to report and record any accidents and incidents, while appropriate actions had been taken for each event. The registered manager had developed strong external relationships to support learning and improvement. The registered manager was part of a local managers network where ideas and good practice was shared. Staff worked with a quality and compliance partner to maintain knowledge and compliance of care. The registered manager said, “We are in different environments, so we learn from each other. It keeps us on top of the whole process.”