Archived: SNP Medical

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

Well-led – this means 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 we rated this key question Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to Good.

This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

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.

The service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities. The incorporated its core values of ‘supportive’, ‘needed’ (customer led), ‘patient’ focused into its name -SNP ltd. This made them easier for staff to remember. Staff demonstrated listening, trust and dedication towards each other and patients being transported. The values and shared direction were on the wall in the staff office. Due to the promotion of a positive culture, staff enjoyed working for the organisation. Staff felt part of the service and were encouraged to contribute to its improvement.

The service had exceptionally inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support. Leaders led by example and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders were very knowledgeable about the service and could clearly explain how teams worked together to ensure the safety of patients was at the forefront of their work. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. Staff praised leaders for their support both personal and professional. Leaders were visible- holding yard meetings weekly, communicating with staff via email and phone calls. Staff felt knowledgeable about what was happening in the business and able to contribute ideas and suggestions to leaders. The service funded opportunities for staff to develop at the expenses of the service such as FREC 3 (First Response Emergency Care Training).

Staff felt able to speak to leaders about both personal and work issues and knew that they would receive support. Staff supported one another when it came to last minute changes to shift patterns due to personal emergencies or sickness. Staff felt supported by leaders who were easy to contact if a problem occurred. Leaders were always available when the service was undertaking a patient journey. They ensured that drivers had sufficient rest between shifts.

Leaders fostered a positive culture where people felt they were encouraged to speak up. However, if staff did not want to approach leaders, they could discuss this with the most senior crew member who would approach leaders on their behalf. Staff could raise issues anonymously if they preferred. Patients had the opportunity to feedback their experience and crew members were actively encouraged to obtain this. This was then used to improve the service. ‘Yard meetings’ were one way in which staff could give feedback on the service, but most felt they could do this at any time.

Leaders valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. There was a flexible working arrangement so that staff could work hours that suited them. Most staff were currently on a zero-hour contract and said that although the work was flexible and suited their personal circumstances. Leaders considered any adjustments staff needed to perform their role. The recruitment policy referred to the service promoting non-discriminatory recruitment and selection activities. The service had not needed to recruit anyone in the last 6 months. Opportunities were given to staff who wanted to develop further.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. The service kept most documents electronically. Policies and procedures were updated and accessed from the smart phones issued to each crew in a morning. Crews had access to up-to-date information. The administrative support had a logical filing system, and documents could be accessed promptly by those who needed them. 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 when appropriate. Managers held monthly documented meetings that reviewed issues and performance. An action log accompanied these meetings. These clearly documented discussions and improvements to the service. The service had recently been comparably quieter than usual but there were plans in pace and actions taken to ensure that the service was sustainable.

Staff understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for patients. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. An example of this was the recent learning from an incident of aggressive behaviour. The registered manager held the responsibility for networking and working with partners. They ensured that meetings were held regularly with partners to understand demand and capacity across the system. Leaders placed tenders and bids for contracts to provide services to a variety of patients. Leaders also promoted their service to other healthcare providers.

Leaders focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. We heard how an incident was used to generate a discussion with staff about improving their own and the patients’ safety while using the service. They encouraged their staff to use creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for patients. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice. Staff used their assessment of patients to ensure that the patient was safe during transfer and when they reached their destination. Staff stayed with the patient until they were sure that the patient was safe.