West Common Lane Teaching Practice

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

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. While several governance processes were well established, certain areas required review to strengthen oversight and monitoring. Staff felt supported by leaders and described a positive workplace culture. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. There was a culture of continuous improvement, and the practice was a well-established training environment that supported the development of GP registrars, foundation doctors, medical students, nurses and apprentice administrative staff.

This service scored 71 (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.

Although staff had not contributed to the development of the practice’s vision and strategy, all staff we spoke with or received feedback from told us they were aware of the practice’s vision and strived to deliver high quality patient care. Most staff reported a positive culture, with a good, friendly, teamwork ethos though some told us that morale could be affected at times when they were short staffed in reception due to the extra work pressures. The provider was aware of this and had taken action to review staffing levels in the administration team. Staff we spoke with told us they enjoyed their job and were proud to work at the practice and clearly had an ethos of wanting to provide high quality patient care.

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

Most staff told us leaders in the practice were approachable and would listen to concerns raised, however some highlighted that, although they felt listened to, leaders were not always able to take action to address the issues they raised. A staff suggestion box was in place, and feedback had led to changes, including changes to staff uniforms. Staff told us they felt supported by the GPs and the management team. We saw the leadership team worked with other practices in the Primary Care Network (PCN) and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

The practice had a whistleblowing policy and had established internal and external Freedom to Speak up arrangements. Staff told us they knew how to raise concerns.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture. Policies and procedures to promote diversity and equality were in place and staff had received equality and diversity training.

The service had clearly defined roles, responsibilities and systems of accountability and leaders were open and receptive to feedback during the site visit and took prompt action to address areas identified for improvement.

However, while several governance processes were well established and effective, some areas required strengthening to improve oversight and monitoring. These included the recording of non-medical prescriber competency monitoring, tracking of blank prescription forms, procedures for accessing and monitoring emergency equipment, and ensuring the staff training policy aligned with national standards, specifically in relation to safeguarding training. In addition, formal risk assessments were required where national guidance was not followed, for example, the rationale for not obtaining employment references to confirm conduct in previous employment for a staff member who had previously worked at the practice as a registrar for a significant period.

Leaders and managers were supportive of staff, and all staff interviewed demonstrated a clear understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities. Managers held regular meetings with staff to conduct 1:1’s and annual appraisals. Staff had access to all relevant policies and procedures and the training they required for their role. Practice meetings were held regularly, during which clinical concerns and emerging risks were discussed. Actions arising from these meetings were clearly documented. Staff demonstrated a strong commitment to patient confidentiality and information governance.

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

The provider worked with other practices within their PCN, including the shared use of staff such as a First Contact Physiotherapist and a Social Prescriber. The practice maintained an active Patient Participation Group (PPG).

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. The practice was a training practice for GP registrars, foundation doctors, nurses and apprentice reception staff. The GP lead for teaching had been nominated by medical students for a Primary Care Teaching Award in recognition of the outstanding support provided during their placements and the practice had successfully recruited previous trainees over the years. Staff were encouraged to develop their skills and were supported with additional training when taking on extended roles, such as infection prevention and control lead responsibilities. The service used innovative training methods, including real-life emergency scenarios using mannequins and inflatable devices. We saw evidence of clinical audits being undertaken to drive service improvements, and the provider planned to develop a formal quality improvement plan to capture and evidence the improvement work described by staff. The provider also used clinical searches and the patient record system proactively to identify patients requiring monitoring.