The Thyroid Clinic

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.

The service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. They told us their mission was to deliver safe, ethical, evidence-based care that prioritises people’s wellbeing, informed choice, and clinical excellence.

Feedback we reviewed confirmed that the objective was shared with people who used the service, as well as staff.

Leaders stated they valued the small team workforce, as this enabled shared direction and culture to be continuously developed as the company expands and demand for services increases.

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 leaders were visible, 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 Freedom to Speak up arrangements were appropriate to the range of services provided and the small team delivering these services.

The service had established Freedom to Speak up arrangements and staff were aware of how to raise concerns through the company policy. Although there had been no Freedom to Speak Up concerns raised previously, staff knew who to approach and how to raise an issue should the need arise.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They worked 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 appropriate to the range of services provided. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others appropriately.

Regular team meetings were held and learning and actions from meetings were documented and recorded. Leaders clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and shared these with staff.

Staff were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Leaders met with staff regularly to complete appraisals and performance reviews. The service had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures.

The Thyroid Clinic is an online independent health service. Whilst this quality statement is not relevant for this service. This quality statement is not relevant for this service and did not form part of the assessment.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equity of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe and effective practice.

Staff were supported to grow in their roles and take on new responsibilities. 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.

Leaders created an open environment where staff felt confident to share improvement ideas.