North East London NHS Foundation Trust

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

Caring - this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last inspection we rated this key question good. We did not re-rate the service as a result of this inspection. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

• Most carers described the staff as kind, caring and respectful. A partner organisation stakeholder told us the staff spoke about the patients respectfully during meetings.

• Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with patients and carers showed they were respectful and responsive, and provided support and advice when needed.

• The rooms where the patient appointments took place were private and soundproofed.

• Staff ensured that patients and carers could easily access information on a range of topics, including local services, helplines, how to complain, healthy eating and safeguarding.

• Leaders were working hard to improve staff morale and wellbeing.

However,

Not all families and carers knew how to access advocacy services.

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.

We spoke with 12 parents/carers of children and young people using the service. Most carers described the staff as kind, caring and respectful. A partner organisation representative told us the staff spoke about the patients respectfully during meetings.

We observed 3 patient consultations. Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with patients and carers showed they were respectful and responsive, and provided support and advice when needed. Staff took time to listen and understand the patients’ and carers’ concerns. Staff supported them to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. Staff directed patients and carers to other services when appropriate, including a behavioural support group, school and GP.

The rooms where the patient appointments took place were private and soundproofed. Staff maintained the confidentiality of information about patients. Most carers told us that staff had explained confidentiality and how they shared information.

Staff ensured that patients and carers could easily access information on a range of topics, including local services, helplines, how to complain, healthy eating and safeguarding. All areas of the service had step-free access. The service had a garden with sensory provision which young people could access with supervision.

Posters in languages spoken by the local communities were displayed throughout the service. Managers ensured that staff and patients had easy access to interpreters. Staff met patients’ communication needs. For example, staff ensured that a Deaf child was seen for triage face-to-face and the appointment was conducted in British Sign Language.

Some of the carers knew about advocacy services. However, 4 did not, and 1 told us they had found this information independently.

The service participated in a number of initiatives as part of the Patient Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), an NHS framework aimed at reducing racial inequalities within services. For example, the service worked with a local third sector organisation to offer young people an opportunity to engage in non-contact boxing and mentoring. The service was exploring the needs of young people from Asian backgrounds with a view to enhancing service provision.

Some staff we spoke with shared examples of personalising care for individual needs, for example providing easy read information or flexibility with appointment times. Although most staff acknowledged the diversity of local communities, not all were able to provide examples of supporting patients’ individual cultural and religious needs, and these were not always explored comprehensively in the care records we reviewed.

Most carers we spoke with said they and their family did not require support with any cultural or religious needs. One carer told us staff supported them during a religious holiday, however another said they had asked for support with a religious need but “it never happened”.

We did not look at Independence, choice and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We previously received whistleblowing concerns about the service in 2024. Those included staff shortages and low staff morale. At the time of our inspection, staff we spoke with said the team morale was improving and were mostly optimistic about the ongoing work within the service: “We are embracing the change and are positive about improvement”. Staff told us they felt respected, supported and valued by their peers and managers. One said: “Everyone is trying to support and encourage one another.” Staff felt positive about working for the provider and the service. However, some shared concerns about their workload and having to work extra hours which they felt was not always recognised.

Staff supervision records included conversations about wellbeing and career development. Staff had access to support for their own physical and emotional health needs. They told us about initiatives that supported their wellbeing and physical activity, for example social events and a walking club.

The provider carried out an annual staff survey. Although the recent survey results were mixed, most staff felt valued by their team, said their manager valued their work and felt the organisation took positive action on health and wellbeing. The majority said they would recommend the service as a place to work.

Senior leaders told us that staff wellbeing and engagement was a strategic priority. The provider recognised staff success within the service. For example, staff could nominate colleagues for annual awards. News celebrating colleagues’ achievements were shared in the monthly staff newsletter, such as a staff member gaining a new qualification and a message of thanks from a patient.