Hope Farm Medical Centre

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 the service’s leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care and promoted an open and fair culture. At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

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 clear and compelling shared vision, strategy and culture, underpinned by transparency, equity, equality, human rights, diversity, inclusion and engagement. Staff and leaders demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the challenges and needs of people and their communities.

All staff had contributed to the development of the service’s vision and strategy, and there was clear and demonstrable evidence that these values were fully embedded within daily practice. For example, a staff recognition and reward system had been developed in line with these values. Leaders consistently monitored and reviewed progress against the delivery of the strategy to ensure it remained responsive, dynamic and effective.

The service demonstrated a highly proactive and forward-thinking approach to local challenges, supported by regular meetings, effective communication, and strong collaborative working. For example, in response to population growth and increased demand, the service recruited 2 GPs and additional support roles. They innovatively streamlined appointment booking processes to reduce the inappropriate use of clinical appointments, resulting in over 13 hours per week of GP capacity being released. In addition, they were implementing a population profiling system to identify emerging trends and drive targeted, data-informed service delivery. The service had also developed well-established and effective partnerships with external organisations, ensuring patients could be directed to appropriate, timely and integrated support.

Staff and leaders actively promoted equality and diversity and worked to identify and address the causes of any workforce inequalities. The provider demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to staff welfare and had proactively established robust and responsive systems to support staff wellbeing. For example, following a staff survey, leaders arranged a team away day at a local zoo to further explore feedback and drive improvement. This resulted in the creation of 4 dedicated staff champion roles focusing on staff wellbeing, staff feedback, staff voice and staff opportunities, each with a clear remit to support staff wellbeing, strengthen communication, and empower staff to perform at their best. Additional initiatives to promote wellbeing included regular events such as a summer barbecue and Christmas celebrations, contributing to a positive and inclusive team culture.

The provider also demonstrated an exceptional commitment to staff development and career progression, offering a wide range of funded training opportunities, including nurse associate training, a Masters in Community Specialist Nursing, ADHD specialist training, a sexual health diploma, and a Doctorate in Health Social Care researching obesity prevention in men.

The provider demonstrated a highly positive and compassionate listening culture that promoted learning, development, and supported staff to progress in their careers, fostering a sustained culture of continuous improvement and innovation. This was further evidenced by staff feedback, which highlighted that leaders actively listened, acted on concerns, and ensured staff felt valued, with leadership described as “fantastic in listening”.

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. These were used to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. The service acted on the best available information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

All staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Leaders proactively supported staff and regularly met with them to complete appraisals and performance reviews. The provider had established governance processes in relation to the quality statements we reviewed during this assessment, which were appropriate for their service. However, these processes were not always fully effective in ensuring that all required actions and records were consistently completed and maintained. We identified some gaps in recruitment procedures and in the oversight of waste management and prescription pads. The provider took prompt action to address these concerns following our assessment.

Staff could access all required policies and procedures, which were kept up to date and reflected current guidance. Leaders held regular meetings with staff, during which they discussed emerging risks and potential improvements to the service. Actions arising from these meetings were clearly recorded and shared with staff. Staff took confidentiality and information security seriously, including verifying people’s identity during remote consultations. Data and notifications were submitted 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.