Kinnco Ltd Also known as AVA Clinics

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 looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as Good

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.

he service had a shared vision,strategy and culture.

The service was working towards expanding to include dermatology treatments, take on more doctors and to continue growing and embedding their governance systems. The dermatology service would be consultant-led.

The service had inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support.Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The doctors and the nurse working at the clinic all had an NHS background and were still working in the NHS at the time of inspection. The medical director and registered manager was also a clinical governance lead for vascular surgery in an NHS trust and a member of the Royal Society of Medicine Venous Forum.

The two business partners were trained in accountancy and had experience in a variety of industries prior to starting up the clinic alongside the medical director.

Staff told us leaders were approachable and responded to any concerns raised.

As a small independent clinic with only a small number of self-employed clinicians and contractors, the provider told us they did not appoint a separate Freedom to Speak Up Guardian as would be expected in an NHS trust. Instead, they said they promoted an open and transparent culture in which all staff were encouraged to raise concerns directly with the Registered Manager or Directors. They had a whistle-blowing policy and a grievance procedure in place.

The service had an equality and diversity policy which stated that they were committed to a culture where respect and understanding was fostered and the diversity of people's backgrounds and circumstances would be positively valued.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support.

There were comprehensive governance processes and policies in place. The service had a risk register, however, it was not fully reflective of the top risks mentioned verbally by leaders.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Managers met with staff regularly to complete appraisals and performance reviews. The provider had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service.

As a small service, they did not have regular meetings for all staff. They had recently introduced formalised governance meetings which were recorded. There were plans to continue to hold these meetings in the future as the service grew.

This is an independent health provider, and where appropriate they linked in with people's GPs and other primary and community care service.

The medical director told us they were offering trainees to come to the clinic as there was limited training for this type of vein treatment in the NHS.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience and outcomes for people.

The clinic had embedded a number of learning and improvement initiatives over the last 12 months, drawn from audits, patient feedback, and significant event reviews. Examples included record keeping, IPC documentation, and the consent process, which they had amended and then re-audited to check compliance.