Whitecliff Surgery

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• 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.

We assessed all quality statements in the well-led key question. At our last inspection, we rated this key question as Good. Following this inspection, the rating has improved and is now rated as Outstanding.

This service scored 89 (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 vision and set of values which were developed collaboratively by the operations team, senior leadership team and partners, and introduced to staff in 2025. Staff told us they understood the vision and were supported to apply it in their roles. For example, the secretarial team produced their own statement on how the values could be reflected in their work.

Since the last inspection, leaders had introduced a Behaviour Framework which set out expected standards of communication, proactivity and personal development. Staff told us this brought greater consistency and transparency, giving clarity on what was expected of them. Leaders told us it helped them to recognise positive behaviours and to address poor conduct in a fair and consistent way. This had created a more supportive and proactive culture, where staff felt valued and confident in their roles. As a result, people experienced more consistent, compassionate interactions and staff were better equipped to provide proactive, high-quality care that considered peoples’ holistic needs. Feedback from patient surveys and compliments received by the service reflected this, with people reporting feeling listened to, respected, and cared for, which contributed to improved satisfaction and trust in the service.

Leaders at all levels were visible, approachable and modelled the service’s values. Staff described them as open, supportive and responsive. The leadership team brought a breadth of experience from healthcare, community services, retail and finance, which staff told us gave them confidence in the team’s capacity to manage risks and deliver the vision.

Since the last inspection, the management team had strengthened its approach to succession planning through a skills gap analysis tool and external leadership training. This had improved resilience and continuity within the service.

The service promoted a culture where staff felt able to raise concerns. A Freedom to Speak Up Guardian had been appointed, and staff told us they felt confident concerns would be taken seriously. Leaders held regular one-to-one meetings with staff, with opportunities for open discussion about their experience. Feedback was anonymised and shared with partners to identify learning.

Staff were also encouraged to provide feedback through suggestion boxes, and leaders gave examples of changes made as a result. For instance, accessibility functions were added to the new service website following feedback from a member of staff with a visual impairment. Staff told us this reinforced their confidence that their voices were heard and valued.

The service demonstrated an exceptional understanding and embedded commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Leaders went beyond statutory requirements to create a culture where individuality was genuinely valued and differences were seen as a source of strength.

Representation at all levels of the workforce reflected the diversity of the local population. Leaders actively sought to recruit people with lived experience of health inequalities and caring roles to bring wider perspectives into service design. These experiences were used to shape accessible information, communication materials and support pathways, which staff told us improved their understanding of peoples’ needs.

Staff completed scenario-based workshops on inclusive communication, unconscious bias and cultural competence. Staff told us they felt more confident to discuss inclusion, challenge discrimination, and make reasonable adjustments.

Leaders promoted a psychologically safe environment to discuss equality in a proactive manner. Staff networks for carers and disabled employees were established, enabling discussion with senior leadership to discuss barriers and opportunities. Outcomes from these meetings directly influenced policy, for example, improvements to flexible working arrangements and accessible IT systems.

The service’s inclusive ethos extended to patient care. Staff told us that the skills gained through internal EDI work improved how they identified and addressed health inequalities in the community. This was reflected in projects targeting cardiovascular disease among ethnic minority groups and outreach to military families, which were both cited by the local Integrated Care Board as examples of good practice.

Governance had improved since the last inspection. Job descriptions, induction programmes, appraisals and supervision were clearly structured and linked to the service’s own Behaviour Framework, ensuring staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Staff told us they felt these systems supported accountability and consistency.

The service had Information governance was managed Staff completed mandatory data protection training, and audits of clinical system use were undertaken to minimise risk. A GP partner acted as Caldicott Guardian, and a senior leader was the data protection officer. Leaders had acted when breaches were identified, and lessons were shared with staff.

Leaders used data, audits and patient feedback to drive improvement. For example, following GP Patient Survey results, a project group was established to improve telephone access. We saw evidence of a structured project plan in place with clear objectives and timelines.

The service demonstrated significant partnership working at both local and system level. Leaders were highly engaged in Dorset-wide initiatives through the GP Alliance, Wessex Cancer Alliance and West Place meetings, where they contributed to shaping county-wide strategy and strengthening links between primary and secondary care. Partners and senior leaders told us these forums provided a valuable platform to share learning, raise local issues, and influence the development of services at system level.

At community level, the service played a leading role in developing integrated neighbourhood teams, with a particular focus on frailty. One example was their collaboration with Dorset Healthcare’s Hospital at Home service, which allowed people to receive acute medical care within their own homes. Staff explained this prevented unnecessary hospital admissions, maintained continuity of care, and kept people in familiar surroundings when unwell. People told us they valued the reassurance and convenience of being supported at home, and data shared with inspectors confirmed a reduction in admissions for this cohort.

The service also established new ways of working with the voluntary sector. They were the first service in Dorset to embed Citizens Advice workers within the service, providing people with direct access to support for poverty, housing and debt. An independent evaluation demonstrated the positive impact on both health and wellbeing outcomes. Staff told us this was particularly effective in supporting people with long-term conditions where financial pressures were affecting health. The service also worked with Carers Support Dorset to deliver monthly carers’ clinics and a local carers’ café, offering health checks, advice and social support. Carers told us they felt more connected, less isolated and more confident in managing their caring responsibilities.

These projects were initiated and piloted by the service and have since been adopted more widely across Dorset, evidencing the leadership role the service played in shaping system-wide improvements. We saw clear evidence that these collaborations had a sustained impact, improving access to care, reducing inequalities, and enhancing community wellbeing.

The service had a strong and embedded culture of learning and innovation. Leaders promoted reflective practice and ensured learning from significant events was cascaded across the organisation. Staff told us they felt supported to bring forward ideas and were given time and encouragement to test new approaches. We found this culture had led to a series of innovative projects which had been evaluated and shown to deliver clear benefits.

One example was the introduction of free Tai Chi classes for older people as part of the “Ageing Well” programme. This initiative targeted mildly frail people to reduce falls risk and support wellbeing. People reported improvements in balance, mobility and confidence, and feedback confirmed the classes reduced isolation by providing a safe and social environment. The success of the Tai Chi classes led to the development of a sustainable chair-based exercise group, extending the offer for people at different levels of frailty.

The service engaged in improvement programmes. For example, it participated in the Wessex Cancer Trust Early Diagnosis Scheme, with dedicated clinical and non-clinical leads. This initiative supported internal audits, local learning events and public health activities to raise awareness and promote earlier diagnosis.

The service promoted the VISO home blood pressure monitoring programme, which allowed people with hypertension to record readings at home and share them electronically with clinicians. Uptake was among the highest in Dorset, and staff told us it had improved the detection of poorly controlled blood pressure and allowed early intervention.

Another innovative initiative was the introduction of nurse-led drop-in cervical screening clinics. These were held at weekends without the need for pre-booked appointments, improving access for people who found it difficult to attend during working hours. The clinics led to a significant improvement in uptake, were recognised at the South West Nursing Awards, and have been replicated by other services following the success of the model.