Sphere Specialist Healthcare

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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 provider ensured there was a culture with a shared goal of person-centred care and planning. They learned lessons when thing did not go to plan and ensured they remained aware of good practice and sector developments by working closely with external stakeholders.

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.

We did not look at Shared direction and culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

All staff we spoke with felt they could raise concerns with managers if they needed to. Likewise, staff survey results were extremely positive in this area. The registered manager had reflected on the culture (particularly communication levels when people contacted the office) and put in place changes to improve the openness of the culture. They worked with external partners to do so and asked staff and others for feedback through surveys and other routes.

There were appropriate policies and procedures in place to help staff raise concerns if they needed to. Policies provided a clear current framework within which the registered manage and staff could lead. For instance, up to date whistleblowing and duty of candour policies. Complaints processes were made clear to people using the service and relatives. One relative told us, "I complained once about communication and I got an apologiy - it was dealt wtih properly."

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.

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

The provider had built and maintained a range of positive, proactive relationships with a range of local partners, in health, social care, policing and more. One professional told us, "They work well with us and others. I hear from them a lot. They are in relevant MDTs and are respected. They are great – not aware of any issues with call times or other issues.” They continued to reach out to potential local partners as a way of increasing knoweldge around key issues, for instance reducing risks to people living on their own, and ensuring they were not isolated from good practice or new initiatives.

Staff received mandatory training as well as a range of bespoke courses when needed, to support people with more complex needs. Staff we spoke with enjoyed this additional training and the impacts they could make on people's quality of life.

Reflective practice was part of the culture. The registered manager was aware of areas of good practice and current policy trends in social care. For instance, they were aware of the importance of Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) and had incorporated this into how they sought people’s opinion. They had changed the staff supervision process to include feedback from people who used the service, meaning people were more involved and staff had more meaningful, impactful feedback. The provider had successfully implemented an electronic care records system. They had reflected on lessons learned and adhered to an action plan agreed with other local partners and made improvements in recent months.