- SERVICE PROVIDER
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
Assessment report published 20 August 2026
Contents
Ratings - Community mental health services for people with a learning disability or autism
Our view of the service
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) provided community services for adults with a learning disability and/or autistic people, including those with complex mental health needs.
The service comprised a single point of access (SPA) for all referrals, four community learning disability hubs staffed by multidisciplinary teams, an autism diagnostic service, and a countywide enhanced support liaison service (ESLS). These services operated across Lincolnshire, delivering support to people within their local communities.
As part of this assessment, we visited three community learning disability hubs across various locations, this included the enhanced support and liaison service (ESLS) based in Lincoln and the autism diagnostic service, based in Sleaford. Data and evidence was reviewed for all locations as part of our off site assessment.
We assessed all 33 quality statements across the five key questions of Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. The service was last inspected in October and November 2018, when it was rated Good. Following this assessment, the overall rating has remained Good.
Staff delivered care and treatment consistently in line with national guidance and recognised best practice, supporting people to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes. Individuals had access to a wide range of specialist interventions tailored to their assessed needs. Staff received appropriate training, regular supervision, and annual appraisals, enabling them to deliver high-quality and innovative care. The multidisciplinary team worked collaboratively and maintained effective partnerships with external agencies and professionals to ensure continuity of care and positive outcomes.
People were treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. Staff actively promoted choice, independence, and person-centred care, ensuring individuals were involved in decisions about their care, treatment, and support. People felt listened to and supported to understand their rights and maintain control over their lives and wellbeing.
Leaders were visible, approachable, and provided effective support to staff. They promoted a positive culture characterised by openness, learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement, enabling the service to develop and respond to the needs of the people it supported.
We assessed the service against the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture to determine whether people with a learning disability and autistic people were supported to experience respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence, and inclusion in their daily lives.
Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance
During this assessment, we reviewed how the service complied with the Mental Health Act (MHA) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and how people’s rights were protected in practice.
Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the MHA and the accompanying Code of Practice. They applied the legislation appropriately when supporting people who were subject to the Act, ensuring care and treatment was delivered lawfully and that people’s rights were upheld. There were effective governance arrangements in place to oversee the use of the MHA, including clear reporting structures, regular reviews, and monitoring processes. Where required, people had access to independent mental health advocates (IMHAs) and second opinion appointed doctors (SOADs), providing additional safeguards and support. We found no evidence of inappropriate or excessive use of restrictive interventions. Staff and leaders promoted a least restrictive approach and sought to involve people in decisions about their care and treatment wherever possible.
Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the MCA and its principles. Capacity assessments were decision-specific and completed in accordance with the two-stage test. Assessments and decision-making processes were clearly documented within care records. Where people lacked the capacity to make a particular decision, staff followed best-interest decision-making processes and involved the relevant professionals, family members, carers, and advocates. Records showed the rationale for decisions, alternative options considered, and who had been consulted during the process.
Staff made reasonable adjustments to support people to understand information and participate in decisions about their care. These included the use of easy-read documents, adapted communication methods, and specialist support from speech and language therapists where necessary. Governance systems provided effective oversight of MCA practice through regular audits and review of capacity assessments and best-interest decisions. Staff received ongoing training and support in relation to the MCA, human rights, and equality legislation, helping to ensure that care and treatment was delivered in a way that respected people’s rights, dignity, and autonomy.
People’s experience
We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 4 relatives/carers. Feedback about the service was consistently positive, with people expressing satisfaction with the quality of care and treatment they received.
People felt safe, supported and well cared for. Staff were consistently described as kind, compassionate, approachable and respectful. People said staff were attentive to their individual needs and delivered care in a way that promoted dignity and respect. They felt listened to, involved in decisions about their care, and valued throughout their treatment journey.
People and their relatives told us that staff were accessible and responsive. Staff were described as proactive in providing support, taking time to listen, and responding promptly to needs. Relatives reported that communication was effective, with regular updates provided regarding their loved one’s progress, care and treatment. They also felt that staff recognised and responded appropriately to both physical and mental health needs, giving equal importance to each.
People, and where appropriate their families, were actively involved in developing care and risk management plans. This collaborative approach helped to ensure care remained person-centred and was tailored to individual needs, preferences and circumstances.
People spoke positively about the range of therapeutic activities available. These were reported to be well attended and contributed to engagement, recovery and inclusion. People told us that participation in these activities provided structure and meaningful opportunities that supported their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, and aided their recovery and rehabilitation.
People were aware of how to raise concerns, provide feedback or make a complaint. They told us they felt listened to and felt confident that their views would be taken seriously, which empowered them to share their experiences and opinions about the service.