Calderdale and Huddersfield 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

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.

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 Friends and Family survey (FFT) from the previous 12 months showed 96% positive feedback. 2,118 patient comments were received and 2,068 were positive. Staff were repeatedly described as friendly, respectful and supportive. In addition, the community health services for adults had undertaken specific service surveys, such as for the long COVID service and health literacy. These had identified both positive feedback and areas where further work was required. For example, the health literacy team had responded to the volunteer’s feedback to improve the language and flow within the documents and make them more accessible to people.

We observed staff delivering care. Staff had a clear and detailed understanding of the individual needs of the patient and a good understanding of potential risks. We observed district nurses speaking kindly and respectfully to patients while carrying out care and treatment. They engaged with patients around their wider health and social needs. Measures were in place to protect patient privacy.

The district nurse daily handovers demonstrated most staff knew patients well and could describe their needs and preferences.

Feedback from the NHS Friends and Family survey (FFT) included many comments highlighting that staff took time to understand concerns and provide reassurance.

People’s feedback demonstrated staff provided personalised care that met patients’ needs and preferences, considered their abilities, culture, and protected characteristics.

Communication needs were met, enabling patients to be involved in their care. Where English was not the patients first language, and it was appropriate, the staff explained they would offer an interpreter or if the patient preferred use a carer or relative if appropriate.

Our observations of staff delivering care demonstrated they were aware of the patients’ preferences. We observed staff offer education and training, such as self-medication during their interactions with patients; and they clearly explained issues and offered guidance appropriate to the patient’s needs.

The feedback from the FFT included that patients valued the clear advice, understandable explanations and thorough information. Patients we spoke with told us they were informed about their care. We observed nurses adapt care and treatment to suit their needs, highlighting a collaborative, personalised approach to care. The patients’ care plans we reviewed reflected their personal, cultural, social and religious needs.

A Divisional Experience of Care Group was recently established to work in partnership with patients and improve their experience of care. The group provided oversight and support for the delivery of the Patient Experience and Involvement Strategy. This was aligned with and supported the national drive to amplify the voices of people and communities (NHS England, 2025). The services which were involved with this were cardiac rehabilitation, long COVID, and pulmonary rehabilitation. The group looked at areas where the patient feedback had suggested improvements.

The leaders followed the NHS 15 Steps Challenge” suite of toolkits that explored different healthcare settings through the eyes of patients and relatives, leaders sought direct patient engagement to understand the service from the patient’s perspective and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. In addition, a dedicated volunteer carried out follow-up telephone calls, to patients after their visit to gather additional feedback and explore their experience in more detail. This information was fed into the recently implemented divisional experience of care group.

During Carers Week 2025, senior leaders visited community and outpatient services to speak directly with unpaid carers, patients and staff. To gain insight into caring experiences, availability of support, practical barriers such as parking and transport, and to look for opportunities to strengthen carer‑friendly practice. Where issues were raised, these were responded to. For example, in response to car parking the communications team were actively promoting the availability of weekly car parking passes.

Staff offered a ‘self-administration of medicines’ service to educate and support patients to manage their medicines, remain at home longer and retain their independence.

We observed nurses carrying out patient home visits and specialist clinic appointments. Staff treated patients and their families with compassion, respect and dignity. Staff demonstrated a clear and detailed understanding of the individual needs of the patient and potential risks and how these should be managed or mitigated. We observed staff provided patients with information and supported them to manage their own health. District nurses were supported by specialist teams and services who enabled them to respond to patients’ specific needs.

Where patients required urgent help or support, district nursing staff consulted with the appropriate teams.

A telephone triage system helped to ensure timely access to care for those with urgent needs. Staff were familiar with referral pathways, to other services.

Staff told us they felt supported by their team managers and matrons. We observed a daily handover meeting where the team leader checked on staffs’ wellbeing.

District nursing staff mostly worked alone. At the time of the inspection each team was using different methods to ensure staff safety. Such as, an online group chat, the team leaders checking if a person did not attend handover and an alert on their laptops which alerted all staff if they were at risk. Also, calling in to the office and asking for a specific item which would alert staff to the risk. The trust had developed an application for staff’s mobile telephones, to enable them to raise an alert if they were at risk but this was not in use at the time of the inspection. Where there were any known issues, 2 staff would attend a home visit. A comprehensive health safety risk assessment is completed and attached to the patients record. Staff were encouraged to attend community specific lone worker training which is commissioned and run by an external facilitator.

Staff had access to an occupational health service.

The trust staff survey for 2025 had an increased staff response rate to 50.6% from 36%, in 2024. The community health services for adults scored above the NHS national staff survey average for all areas and on average 5% higher than the trust overall performance for personal development, health and safety and wellbeing, and teamwork. The community division had developed an action plan in response to the findings; this included to improve the health and well-being of colleagues at work and maintain or improve sickness absence rates.