Right at Home Sutton & Mid-Surrey

Staff were well informed about risks to people, and followed detailed guidance to reduce these, whilst continuing to promote well being and independence for the people they support. The service predicted risk and acted to prevent issues before they arose. Staff were very knowledgeable about other services and equipment that could improve people's independence and referred to those in anticipation of people's needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

We saw many examples of how staff had acted to improve people's lives, and had worked together with people to achieve the very best possible outcomes for people. People were central to all decisions made, and were encouraged to choose the way in which they were cared for and by whom, and developed strong relationships with staff they knew well and supported them regularly. Opportunities had been sought by staff to improve people's links with the community and the barriers removed that had prevented them from staying connected to others.

All of the people and families we spoke with praised the staff highly for their caring and kind natures. Many small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness made people feel happier and well cared for.

All the staff we spoke with told us they were incredibly proud to work for the organisation. They were highly valued and supported by the organisation, and received congratulations and awards as a thankyou for work well done. They were encouraged to get involved in making changes and improvements to the service, which would further enhance the quality of care for people. The management team, as well as being effective leaders for the service, also maintained their presence and relationship with clients, families and staff teams so that they were up to date and involved. They carried out support visits when needed to help support their team, and this boosted morale amongst the staff. Staff told us that the office team were as

invested as the carers in providing the highest quality care.

Governance systems were robust and the management team analysed findings to continually make improvements to the service. Any issues with performance or quality were picked up straight away and acted on to prevent recurrence.

The culture in the service was one of transparency, openness, continuous learning and collaboration. Every person connected to the service that we spoke with felt involved, included and part of a team that were working together to enhance people's lives on a daily basis. Staff going above and beyond expectations was considered usual practice by the service.