Demonstrating continuous improvement in our Quality Report 2020
Consensus are pleased to present the Consensus Quality Report 2020, clearly demonstrating the outcome of our commitment to continuous improvement and the hard work of so many colleagues working within our organisation throughout the financial year 2019/20.
Consensus is committed to supporting people to increase their independence, live fulfilling lives and actively participate in their communities. Our approach to quality is embedded in working together with individuals, their families and other professionals to design and deliver the best quality of support we can.
Deborah Cotton- Soares, Quality and Compliance Director at Consensus said, “Our Quality Report was first introduced in 2018, with the aim of (and in accordance with our values) operating with transparency and integrity to continuously review our performance across several key areas of importance and identify where we need to put our efforts going forward to meet priorities.”
“We are now pleased to publish the third annual edition of the report which highlights our ongoing commitment to develop best practice, improve communication and engagement across the organisation and to keep learning how we can do things better.”
Highlights of this year’s report include:
Achieving consistently high ratings with national regulators
Throughout the year, our services continued to achieve consistently high ratings from national regulators including a further five Outstanding ratings from the Care Quality Commission, bringing our total number of Outstanding ratings to nine.
Building relationships and capacity to meet national and local priorities
In response to national and local priorities, our team have continued to build strong relationships within local communities. This is reflected in 60 new individuals coming to live with Consensus, an increase of nine per cent from last year. We also supported five individuals to move from hospital-based settings into less restrictive environments, where they can be supported to enjoy fulfilling lives within the community.
Supporting local demand for more complex support provision.
Throughout this period, a key priority for our Development and Partnerships team has been to continue to work closely with local commissioners to help support their needs and deliver bespoke accommodation and support services for individuals with a learning disability and very complex needs, including individuals that are part of the Transforming Care Agenda.
Working in partnership with local commissioners to identify and meet local need, we invested in, developed and launched three new services in London and Surrey, including Stanley Park Road – a state of the art enhanced residential service in Wallington, London; Upper Park Road – a supported living service in Camberley, Surrey; and Bear Road – a new specialist service for individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome in Hounslow, London.
We also worked in partnership with local commissioners in Lancashire to help support males in the area who fall under the Transforming Care Agenda, some of whom require specialist risk management approaches. Offering specialist support and self-contained accommodation in a residential setting, Pendle Gardens in Barrowford, Lancashire was the first service of its kind in the area.
In total, we opened five new services, (3 residential and 2 supported living services) providing accommodation and support for another 36 people. We continue to work in partnership with local authorities and CCGs to plan, scope and invest in new services to meet their future local needs, with three additional new services set to open in 2020/21.
Enhancing the skills and quality of our colleagues with Consensus’ Career Ladder
Introduced in 2017, the Consensus Career Ladder provides a career pathway with clearly identified steps and pay scales to support and encourage all colleagues to develop their skills and knowledge and future potential within the company. The Career Ladder went through a further update in April and May 2019, with additional new levels coming into effect on 1st June 2019. As a result of the review, over a quarter of our colleagues (467 people) moved up a level on the Career Ladder.
In line with our commitment to offer access to Apprenticeships, Consensus had 143 Apprenticeships start within this time frame and 58 completions. Out of the 58 apprentices who have already completed the programme, 48 stayed on to pursue a career with Consensus.
Moving forward, our aim is to continue to support our colleagues progress by providing more opportunities to access apprenticeships and vocational qualifications as well as expanding our learning and development opportunities through our dedicated leadership programmes, including Future Leaders and Stepping Stones to Manager.
Please find out more about our Quality Assurance here.
