Green Care Services

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 good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care. There was a positive culture at the service, where staff and people using the service felt valued and empowered. There were capable and inclusive leaders who had the experience and qualifications to manage the service well. There were systems for staff to speak up when they had concerns. The agency supported staff wellbeing and considered their diverse needs so they felt supported. There were effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service was well as learning and developing the agency to meet the needs of stakeholders. The provider worked in partnerships with others to help implement best practice and a learning culture.

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.

There was a positive, person-centred culture at the service. People using the service, their relatives and staff felt well supported. There were clear values and staff understood and worked towards these. The management and care staff spoke about how they supported people with individualised care and enjoyed meeting people’s needs and supporting them to feel happy. The registered manager explained that they focussed on staff attitude and values when recruiting new staff. The other members of the management team confirmed this and explained how they provided extensive inductions and training to help build staff confidence and make sure they shared the organisation’s vision. The provider celebrated staff achievements and successes. Comments from staff included, “Working at Green Care Services has been a rewarding experience. The support is great, continuous feedback and development opportunities’’, “I would definitely recommend the agency as a place to work’’ and “If someone needed care, I would recommend the agency to them.’’ People using the service and their relatives also told us they would recommend the agency and they were happy with the support they received.

The agency was managed by capable and inclusive leaders. The registered manager and management team had relevant qualifications and kept themselves updated with best practice through regular training and partnership working with other organisations. The management team told us they enjoyed working in different roles and continuing to take part in caring. Additionally, they explained they had regular contact with other staff and people using the service. They demonstrated a good knowledge of individual people and staff and how to meet their needs. The staff told us they felt supported and could speak with the management team and ask for additional information or guidance when they needed. Some of their comments included, “Managers are approachable’’ and “My manager ensures that I work in a safe environment, get the right training and providing equipment at the places of work.''

The provider had processes for staff to speak up and they understood these and were confident in doing so. Some of the comments from staff included, “If I have any concerns, I am always able to call the office and someone will be available to help me’’ and “I have supervision with my manager and we can discuss concerns.’’ Staff were also aware of how to escalate concerns if they felt these were not responded to.

There were systems to ensure workforce equality and support. The registered manager told us they provided translated information for staff when English was not their first language, and when they needed this. They supported staff to have time off when needed for religious or caring responsibilities. The provider supported some staff who found it hard to access online training by allocating senior staff to help them interpret information when there was a language barrier or a disability making this more difficult for them. Staff told us they felt their individual needs were supported. Some of their comments included, “The service ensures I feel safe and valued by promoting a positive and understanding workplace culture’’, “I have a disability and [managers] help me to handle my courses and give hands on experience’’, “[The agency] shows interest in my culture’’ and “My individual needs are met effectively, they provide tailored support, such as adaptations and create a welcoming environment that values cultural expression to help me feel safe.’’

There were effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service. These included a range of audits, checks on staff, reviews of people’s care and asking all stakeholders for feedback. Senior staff had relevant experience and qualifications to provide guidance and support for the staff. The staffing structure took account of staff skills and establish whether they wanted to support younger adults with disabilities or older people. This meant that staff were able to improve their skills and practice and provide quality care. There were a range of policies and procedures which reflected legislation and good practice guidance. These were regularly reviewed and updated. People using the service and their relatives gave positive feedback about the way the service was managed. They told us they were able to contact managers when needed and that changes were made to the service to reflect their wishes and feedback. Their comments included, “They are good and deal with issues straight away’’, “They ring regularly and they listen’’, “The carers have good training and provide quality care’’ and “I think the manager is very good, the carers are trustworthy and we are really happy with the service.’’

The provider worked in partnership with other organisations and communities. They worked with a local college to provide information to students and to offer work experience placements for them. They had given speeches and shared literature with these colleges in the hope of enabling students to find out more about working in health and social care. The provider attended forums with other managers and local support organisations to share best practice and learning together. The provider had also supported people using the service to access community resources, to find out about finances and understand how they could access services and funding to help them with their needs.

There were processes to support learning, improvements and innovation. The registered manager was a qualified trainer. They ran training course for their own staff and those from other care companies. The management team kept themselves updated with best practice. The provider undertook regular checks and audits and had developed action plans for improvements and for how they wanted the service to grow and change. This plan was based on feedback from stakeholders and the provider’s own audits.