Holbrook Surgery

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

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

People were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity. Staff protected people’s privacy. Staff treated people as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. The service supported staff wellbeing.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Care home representatives told us people they supported were treated with respect and dignity, and confirmed their privacy and confidentiality was maintained.National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to, were treated with care and concern and had confidence and trust in health care professionals. People responded positively to their overall experience of the service.

Staff gave examples of how they treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. They were also aware of the importance of people’s confidentiality and gave examples of how this was maintained.Clinicians followed processes to ensure young adults had control over their own privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support.

During the site visit we observed staff to be friendly and helpful with people at the reception desk and when supporting people by telephone. Arrangements were in place to support people’s privacy, which included being able to speak in a private area if required.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. For example, care home representatives explained that people with a learning disability were offered appointments either at the service or in their own homes, depending on what best met their individual needs.

People’s personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Staff gave examples of reasonable adjustments in place, for example longer appointments. People’s communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care, for example using simple clear wording in care plans. Arrangements were in place to identify and support people who were digitally excluded, for example requests for appointments and opportunities to provide feedback could be made via telephone or in person.

Staff were required to complete relevant training to support people effectively. Most staff had completed equality, diversity, inclusion, and human rights training, and all staff had completed Level 1 learning disability and autism awareness training. Leaders had engaged with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) regarding access to level 2 training.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment. Feedback from care home representatives and people who used the service supported this view.

There were arrangements to promote people’s independence and control over their care and treatment. Staff supported people to make informed decisions about their care and treatment, and when appropriate with their carers. Information was available at the service, and on their website which advised people how to access support groups and organisations. These included for example, wellbeing and sexual health.People could self-refer to a range of services using links from the service website, which included talking therapies and stop smoking.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff knew how to respond to people’s immediate needs and how to recognise when urgent help or support was required. Staff told us about systems and training in place to support this, which included guidance and training on sepsis,the use of an alert button on the computer system, and the availability of emergency medicines and equipment. The service had a duty GP available every day to respond to people’s immediate needs, review urgent requests and support as necessary.All staff had completed training in basic life support and anaphylaxis appropriate to their role.

Arrangements were in place to manage emergencies and a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs, including mental health needs, had access to services. Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis services.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Leaders had taken steps to meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as home visit arrangements. Some actions had been completed following a staff survey in March 2025, for example, a noticeboard was in the staff room, and staff were encouraged to arrange social events.

Staff we spoke with, told us they felt supported by team leaders and could approach them at any time for advice and guidance. Staff gave examples of support they, or others had received, for example flexible working. Staff had access to counselling and information had been shared on how to access this. Leaders supported staff with professional development and career progression.