Plympton Health Centre

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.

At our last assessment in July 2015, we rated this key question as Good. At this assessment, the rating remains unchanged.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Leaders and the management team detailed a clear vision and values for the service. This was shared with staff. Staff were aware of and understood the vision, values and strategy and their role in achieving them.There was a clear vision and set of values, which the service acted on. The service had a realistic strategy and supporting business plans to achieve priorities. The strategy was in line with health and social priorities across the region. The provider planned the service to meet the needs of the local population. The provider monitored progress against delivery of the strategy.

The service was aware of health inequalities (due to the deprivation level of the local area or new build housing estates without access to health services in the locality) and was working with partner agencies to address future challenges.

The service had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment, support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce, practice and the wider organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff told us that managers were visible and approachable and that they worked closely with staff and others to make sure they prioritised compassionate and inclusive management leadership.

There were clear lines of responsibility to support capable leadership. The service had job descriptions for all staff and had ensured staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The practice had established Freedom to Speak up arrangements with other practices in the primary care network. Staff were aware of how to raise concerns.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

Policies and procedures to promote diversity and equality were in place. We saw senior leaders had addressed concerns related to discrimination. Adjustments had been made to ensure all staff were valued. For example, we saw adjustments to support staff working flexibly.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

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, competency and performance reviews.

The provider and management team had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. GP partners and managers held regular practice meetings with staff, during which they discussed clinical concerns and emerging risks. Managers clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and ensured they shared these with staff. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The UTC had good working relations with community multi-disciplinary teams, including the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT), to increase efficiency and aid timely referrals to help support people using the service.

The service provided care and treatment to people accommodated in 14 care homes. Feedback from care home providers in response to a Care Home Service Review 2025 survey (conducted by the GP service) was positive. This showed that clinical staff (employed at the care service) felt supported and responses to queries / emails / visits were timely and thorough and that they had an open and transparent relationship with the GP service, where areas of concern could be addressed in a supportive and learning outcome approach.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people.

Staff were supported to grow in their roles and take on new responsibilities. The service supported a strong culture of continuous learning, innovation and improvement.

Staff were encouraged to contribute their ideas. Learning needs were discussed in team meetings, training/courses and identified in annual appraisals. The service encouraged professional development and career progression. Staff had completed training such as moving from receptionist to manager, gaining independent prescriber qualifications, and following the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) pathway. The practice offered placements to GP trainees and Foundation Year 2 doctors (a doctor in their second year of postgraduate training in the UK who are preparing for specialty training).

Leaders created an open environment where staff felt confident to share improvement ideas. We saw clear examples of improvements made following staff feedback. For example, the service were early adopters of the total triage system (prior to the Covid pandemic). The service identified a mismatch between people’s clinical needs and types of appointment offered. They recognised the importance of a total triage system to direct people to the right clinician, at the right time for appropriate care. As a result, they adopted the new system with improved efficiency.

The service was innovative and encouraged contemporary thinking supporting new ways of working. The provider had effective systems and processes to develop and support their teams, enabling safe working practices. They supported and developed their staff to help fulfil their potential and to meet the challenges of providing health care to a local population.