Lockwood 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 Practice 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 practice 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.

Most staff we spoke with were aware of the practice's vision and values. All staff demonstrated a commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centred care and understood the needs of the practice population. Staff and leaders recognised the cultural and language barriers experienced by some patients and described how they worked to support people to achieve positive health outcomes.

Staff told us there was a positive and supportive culture within the practice. They felt encouraged to develop their skills and were supported to access training and development opportunities. Staff described an open-door culture and said leaders and managers were approachable and available to provide guidance and support when needed.

Leaders had oversight of the practice's strategic priorities and told us that strategy and business planning were discussed regularly through leadership meetings. The practice was supported by a wider central management and leadership team, which helped provide oversight and support for service improvement.

The practice 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. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff consistently told us they felt supported, valued and respected by leaders within the practice. They described leaders as approachable and said they felt comfortable raising concerns or seeking advice when needed. Staff also spoke positively about team building and wellbeing initiatives, which helped promote a supportive working environment.

Leaders demonstrated an understanding of the needs of both the practice population and workforce. They were aware of areas where improvements could be made and had plans in place to address these. The leadership team worked collaboratively with other practices within the Primary Care Network and were involved in the development of local primary care services.

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

The practice had arrangements in place to support Freedom to Speak Up and a policy was available to staff. Staff were aware of the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and understood how to raise concerns both formally and informally. Staff we spoke with told us they felt comfortable raising concerns and were confident they would be listened to and acted upon appropriately.

Leaders told us that concerns raised by staff were investigated and that learning was shared where appropriate to support service improvement. The practice also had a whistleblowing policy in place, and staff demonstrated an understanding of what whistleblowing involved.

Most staff understood the principles of Duty of Candour; however, not all staff were able to fully describe this during discussions. Leaders told us they would reinforce this topic through staff communications and discuss it further at a future protected learning session.

The practice 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 were in place to promote equality, diversity and inclusion. These included policies relating to lone working, bullying and harassment, and zero tolerance. Staff could access these policies electronically and in hard copy where required.

Leaders provided opportunities for staff to discuss their development, wellbeing and career aspirations through annual appraisals. Staff were also encouraged to share feedback and suggestions through a QR code feedback system and other engagement opportunities.

The provider promoted staff wellbeing through initiatives such as team training events, social activities and staff recognition schemes. For example, staff could nominate colleagues for employee recognition awards. Staff told us they felt valued and supported within their roles. Overall, the practice demonstrated a commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and promoting equality across the workforce.

The practice 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.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were aware of the management structure within the practice and wider organisation. The provider was supported by a central management team, which provided oversight of key functions including human resources and finance.

The practice used an electronic management platform to support governance and operational oversight. This enabled leaders to monitor performance, manage risk, track actions, oversee audits and risk assessments, and support capacity and resource planning.

A programme of meetings was in place, including clinical and team meetings. Standing agenda items included safeguarding, safety alerts, medicines management and primary care updates. Minutes were recorded and shared with staff to support communication and oversight.

Staff were able to access policies and procedures when required and demonstrated an understanding of information governance and confidentiality requirements. Overall, governance arrangements supported the effective delivery of safe and sustainable care.

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

The practice worked closely with a range of healthcare partners to support coordinated care and improve outcomes for patients. Staff attended regular safeguarding and palliative care meetings to discuss and manage the needs of vulnerable patients and ensure information was shared appropriately between services.

The provider had developed positive working relationships with community and religious organisations and used these partnerships to better understand and respond to the needs of the local population. Leaders and staff demonstrated a commitment to collaborative working and described how information, feedback and learning were shared with partners to support service improvement.

The practice sought feedback from patients in a variety of ways. This included a compliments box and conducting exit interviews with patients who chose to leave the practice, helping leaders understand the reasons for their decision and identify opportunities for improvement.

The practice 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. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

The practice had a programme of quality improvement activities in place, including clinical and non-clinical audits and searches of the clinical system to support compliance and service improvement. Information from complaints, significant events and patient feedback was used to identify learning and drive improvements.

Quality improvement activity, including clinical audit findings, was discussed at monthly clinical governance meetings. These meetings were recorded and made available to staff to support shared learning across the practice.

Staff were allocated time to complete mandatory training and were encouraged to contribute ideas for improving services.

The practice worked with trained Community Champions to deliver mental health awareness sessions within the practice. These sessions provided patients with opportunities to discuss mental health and wellbeing concerns, access information and signposting, and engage with local sources of support.