Dr A M Cole & Partners, Lockswood Surgery

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, we rated this key question as good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

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. This was based on transparency, equity, equality, human rights, diversity, inclusion, and engagement. Staff and leaders understood the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

Staff told us they had contributed to the development of the service’s vision and strategy in recent staff meetings, which was kept under review. Leaders monitored and reviewed progress against the delivery of their strategy. The service was aware of local challenges which affected their service, such as the projected increase in demand compared to the service’s capacity and leaders worked with partner agencies to address these challenges. For example, increasing staffing resources and developing the premises to meet expected demand and support the long-term viability of the service, and its ability to meet people's needs.

Staff and leaders actively promoted equality and diversity and worked to identify the causes of any workforce inequalities. They demonstrated a positive and compassionate listening culture that focused on learning and development through meeting minutes which showed that performance, incidents, feedback, and complaints were routinely discussed.

We did not look at Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Freedom to speak up during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

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. They acted on the best information about risk, performance, and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

All staff we spoke with were clear on individual roles and responsibilities. Leaders proactively supported staff and met with them to complete appraisals and performance reviews. The provider had established governance processes to meet safety standards in line with national guidelines and evidence-based practice.

Leaders demonstrated a forward planning approach to workforce sustainability, with clear plans to anticipate future service needs, including staff development, changes in working patterns, and succession planning to support continuity of care. For example, leaders had restructured administrative roles to create development opportunities for staff wishing to progress. This supported staff to develop additional skills and responsibilities, while recognising and valuing their contribution to delivering care.

Staff could access all required policies and procedures, which were kept up to date. Leaders held regular meetings with staff, during which they discussed emerging risks and potential improvements to the service. Leaders clearly recorded any actions that arose from these meetings and shared these with staff. Staff took confidentiality and information security seriously, which included verifying people’s identity during remote consultations. Staff submitted data and notifications to external agencies as required.

We did not look at Partnerships and communities during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.