Radfield Home Care Chippenham & North Wiltshire

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

We reviewed 7 quality statements for this key question.

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 were aware of the provider values and had regular contact with the registered manager and nominated individual. Staff felt able to visit the office when they needed. One member of staff said, “I really feel we are a no blame culture; everybody can come into the office and talk to anyone about any problems.”

The service was part of a national franchise Radfield Home Care. The nominated individual told us they chose the franchise in part because the network was small, and they had family values which they shared. Values were shared with staff when they started work. There was a policy of the month process which helped to make sure staff were fully aware of all the policies and procedures. Staff visited the office to read through identified policies for the month.

Staff told us the service was well-led. Comments from the staff included, “It is very well organised and well-led. I see the registered manager at the office, we drop in for a cup of tea. They are humble and nice people” and “It is a small company, the Chippenham branch is small, so we know all the leaders. We know everyone in the office and can have a conversation with them. I feel so supported.”

The service had a manager in post who was registered with Care Quality Commission (CQC). This meant in addition to the provider recruitment process the registered manager had also completed the CQC fit person process to become registered. The nominated individual was also an active part of the office team and knew staff and people well.

Staff knew how to report any whistleblowing concerns. We were told they had been provided with training on whistleblowing and they had access to the relevant policies. Comments from staff included, “I feel able to speak up, they [management] do listen. We talk about better ways of working, give ideas and they listen” and “If things are wrong, I record it. I would report it right away to Care Quality Commission, you should always be honest.”

The service had a whistleblowing policy and told us staff had telephone numbers of people to contact if they wanted to raise any concerns.

Staff told us they had not seen or experienced any discrimination. They felt there was equal opportunity for staff and the service was inclusive to all. One member of staff said, “The company is equal to us, they give us the hours and terms stated in our contracts. They give me opportunities to raise any concerns, and they would address them right away.” The nominated individual told us, “We have a very diverse workforce, a range of nationalities. It is all female which is how it is not by design. We do have a lot of staff between 40 and 55. We spend a lot of time in induction on equality, diversity and inclusion and cover human rights as well. This is also added to our staff handbook and client handbook, so they have lots of information on this area.”

The service had a range of policies and procedures to support equality, diversity and inclusion amongst all of the staff. Staff were provided with training on equality, diversity and inclusion and had access to additional resources if they needed it. The service had sponsored a local Pride event. Pride events raise awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Management and staff had attended the local event in Chippenham for 2024 hoping to raise awareness and celebrate diversity.

The registered manager told us they carried out a series of audits and checks to monitor quality and safety.

The service employed a compliance manager to help with governance systems. Regular audits were taking place to help identify areas for improvement and development. Support from the central office was also available to provide guidance and have additional oversight on audits and actions needed. All actions identified from quality checks completed were added to an overall service improvement plan. Management carried out spot checks on staff in people’s homes. These were unannounced and checked staff were working safely and following policies and procedures. There was a business continuity plan which outlined action to take in the events of system failures such as loss of telecommunications.

People and relatives, we spoke with did not raise any concerns about how management worked in partnership with them and others. One relative told us, “It is run by [nominated individual] and [registered manager]. They have been in contact and kept me well informed. I think it has been a very good service. They have expressed the right level of concern and engagement, and they have expressed the right questions on how they can help [relative].”

The registered manager told us they were members of a local provider forum which shared information about various areas of sector related good practice. Management was aware of local health professionals and told us they regularly liaised with them to improve health outcomes for people.

Professionals we contacted did not share any concerns about this service. One professional told us they found the management were keen to learn and develop their service and make any improvements needed.

The registered manager was aware of local stakeholders and professionals to contact if people needed support with health outcomes. Management had supported local authority commissioning teams to visit and carry out a quality check at the service. Actions identified for improvement were welcomed by management in order to improve quality and safety.

Management told us they attended events organised by their central office. This enabled them to meet with other branch registered people and share ideas, good practice and learning from events. The nominated individual told us they were reviewing areas where they could develop their service further. They told us, “We are looking at opportunities to have points of difference. We know there are plenty of other care providers around. We are all compassionate and empathetic, what can we do that is different.”

The service was supported by their central office and other branches to share ideas for improvement. Management told us this had been useful for areas such as marketing and ideas for assistive technology. There were regular staff meetings which were used to discuss day to day operations and identify any learning. Management told us they welcomed any ideas from staff on ways of working and improvements to how the service was run. The service had a 'vision statement' which management used to outline objectives for the year ahead.