Forward Leeds - Kirkgate

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

The service had an exceptional, values driven culture of person centred, trauma informed and non-discriminatory care. Staff showed cultural sensitivity, proactively challenge inequity and protect people’s privacy, dignity and individual identity.

The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Client feedback about staff was overwhelmingly positive and showed staff had developed trusting relationships which were at the heart of the service. Staff provide holistic support that addressed client’s emotional, psychological, cultural, social and physical needs.

All staff were discreet and responsive when caring for clients. Staff took time to interact with clients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. Clients told us they could visit the service outside of appointment times and that staff were always there to support them.

Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each client and showed understanding and a non-judgmental attitude when caring for or discussing clients. Clients told us they felt they could speak openly to staff and tell them about issues related to both their substance misuse, or issues related to their home life, finances or any other concerns they had.

Clients told us that when they had issues within their home or personal life, staff would signpost them to other services, or where they were able to support directly, they did so, for example, liaising with housing support or social services.

Clients described staff as polite, non-judgemental and supportive. They told us staff went above and beyond to support them including arranging last minute appointments, visiting their homes, going out of their way to accommodate their needs, and offering emotional support when they were upset or distressed.

We observed staff and client interactions throughout the inspection, and these were all very positive. We saw staff going outside the service to support a client who was distressed and could see that the staff member displayed genuine empathy and warmth towards the client. We discussed this with managers during the inspection who told us the client was street homeless. Staff had spent time with the client and supported them to attend the local substance misuse alcohol day centre. Observations showed that staff knew the clients well and appeared at ease when interacting with them.

We observed 3 group sessions. These sessions enabled clients to share their views and feelings in their own time. The sessions appeared productive and supportive, with genuine warmth and empathy shown by the group facilitator and other attendees. Clients spoke very positively about group and individual sessions and told us staff delivered these in a way which enabled them to be open about their challenges and progress.

All staff we spoke with were passionate and committed to delivering good care. Staff and clients both fed back that they had built good therapeutic relationships which they said formed a key part of their recovery.

We spoke with external stakeholders who told us staff always treated them with kindness and respect and that they observed staff treating clients in the same way.

Staff followed policy to keep client care and treatment confidential. Care records were stored securely, and documents were password protected. Clients disclosed personal information about themselves during group sessions and staff reminded everyone not to share this information with anyone else.

The client group was diverse. Clients told us that staff understood and respected their personal, cultural, social and religious needs. The service delivered cultural competency training to ensure the service was accessible to different groups.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. All clients told us staff offered them help, emotional support and advice when they needed it.

Care plans demonstrated clients were actively involved in decision making and were supported to make their own choices about their care. People were supported to maintain networks that were important to them.

Staff supported clients who became distressed and helped them maintain their privacy and dignity. The service had a policy in place to manage violence and aggression.

Staff ensured that information, support and recovery opportunities were tailored to meet client’s needs, preferences and circumstances.

Care records and staff interviews showed that staff consistently supported people to access clear and relevant information about their treatment options, local services, their rights, and how to raise concerns or complaints. Staff routinely signposted individuals to a wide range of recovery-focused and community-based support networks.

Managers gave many examples of how they connected clients to others with lived experience and supported them to access peer-led recovery communities. Staff regularly signposted clients to mutual aid groups. Managers told us they recognised the importance of peer support in sustaining recovery.

The service was proactive in developing and maintaining digital recovery resources. Staff had contributed significantly to the development and ongoing use of the ‘Recovery in Leeds’ website, which was accessible through the Forward Leeds platform. The website provided a central point of information for people seeking support and was used to signpost clients to a wide range of lived experience and community recovery organisations based on their individual needs.

In addition to signposting clients and the public to external resources, the service offered practical support to help clients sustain their recovery based on their circumstances. Through its aftercare provision, the service supported people to access seed funding to reduce barriers to recovery and promote independence. This included funding for gym memberships and other wellbeing-focused activities, as well as providing small grants to enable clients in recovery to establish their own lived experience recovery groups. This approach empowered clients in recovery to take ownership of their recovery journey and develop peer-led support networks within the area.

Staff ensured that clients had access to appropriate spiritual support and offered interventions such as mindfulness sessions and grounding techniques. These approaches were tailored to individual need and helped clients develop coping strategies to manage anxiety, distress and emotional dysregulation.

The service made adjustments for disabled clients. All hubs had disabled access, and there were meeting rooms located on ground floors for clients with mobility needs.

The information provided was in a form accessible to the client group. There were easy read leaflets, and information provided in a variety of languages. Some clients had limited English and managers ensured that clients had easy access to interpreters and/or signers.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff gathered information on clients including their background and social status which they said helped inform care and treatment.

Recovery plans included the clients’ choices and preferences. Staff described how they tried to promote client’s choice and control wherever possible.

We observed that clients were given choice and control in relation to their care. Options of treatments and tests were discussed and explained in full detail. Clients then had the full information available to them to make their own decisions in relation to the care they received.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

The service responded exceptionally well to people’s immediate needs, with staff demonstrating a strong understanding of individual circumstances and acting promptly to reduce distress, and support and promote people’s safety and wellbeing. Clients told us that staff listened to and understood their needs, views and wishes. They provided examples of how staff responded quickly and positively to these, taking timely action to minimise discomfort, concern or distress.

Many clients described how staff had provided responsive and practical support at times when they were particularly vulnerable. This included reminding people of their recovery goals when they felt at risk of relapse, arranging appointments at short notice to meet changing needs and completing home visits when clients were unable to attend the hub. During the inspection, we observed staff responding to a client who required support outside the service. Staff took appropriate and immediate action to support the client, demonstrating a flexible and compassionate approach that extended beyond the service’s usual setting.

The service demonstrated particularly effective partnership working to ensure people received timely and appropriate support at key points in their lives. Staff worked closely with prison services to ensure people received continuity of support and timely access to treatment following release from prison. The service also provided targeted support for people involved in sex work, including facilitating access to sexual health testing and treatment. This demonstrated that staff understood the specific needs and vulnerabilities of different groups and adapted their response accordingly.

Referral timescales were below the national average, meaning people were able to access support promptly and without unnecessary delay. Staff were proactive in identifying and responding to emerging needs and worked creatively to overcome barriers to engagement.

Managers provided numerous examples of staff responding promptly to concerns about clients, often working with other agencies to maintain people’s safety or implement care arrangements at short notice. We reviewed 7 case studies which, together with care records, demonstrated effective and coordinated management of risk and safeguarding concerns. Staff worked closely with health services, housing, social care, criminal justice services, domestic abuse services and community organisations to ensure people received the right support at the right time.

Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of the individual risks affecting people using the service. Care records showed that individual risks were clearly recorded, reviewed and updated in response to changing circumstances.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Managers demonstrated a clear commitment to creating a positive, supportive and inclusive culture across the service. Staff consistently told us they felt respected, supported and valued by their managers and colleagues. Staff described feeling proud to work for the provider and spoke positively about the culture within their teams. Staff survey results showed that 80% of staff felt managers motivated them.

Managers described how they prioritised staff wellbeing and recognised this was important in delivering high-quality care. Staff had access to a range of wellbeing initiatives, including an employee assistance programme, occupational health services and dedicated wellbeing time.

The service actively recognised and celebrated staff achievements. Staff recognition schemes included the ‘Way2Go Recognition Programme’, where staff could nominate colleagues for demonstrating positive behaviours and contributions. Staff who received recognition were notified directly and acknowledged by managers. Recognition was also promoted through staff awards, certificates, vouchers, quarterly all-staff meetings and weekly communications celebrating achievements. Managers also arranged staff reward days, away days and team-building activities.

Managers and leaders actively listened to staff feedback and used it to inform service improvements. They completed regional insight reports to analyse staff survey results, engagement levels, workforce culture and areas for development. Survey findings were translated into action plans with clear leadership oversight and accountability.

Managers also sought feedback through exit interviews, which were regularly reviewed to identify learning opportunities and support workforce development.

Staff feedback and client compliments were routinely shared and celebrated. Positive comments from clients were displayed within office environments and discussed during team meetings.

The provider supported staff development and opportunities for progression.