Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service, however the rating for this key question remains the same as when we last inspected the locations that sit within this assessment service group in January 2020. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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.

Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with patients showed that they were discreet, respectful and responsive, providing patients with help, emotional support and advice at the time they needed it.

Staff supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition.

Staff directed patients to other services when appropriate and, if required, supported them to access those services.

Patients said staff treated them well and behaved appropriately towards them.

Staff understood the individual needs of patients, including their personal, cultural, social and religious needs.

Staff said they could raise concerns about disrespectful, discriminatory or abusive behaviour or attitudes towards patients without fear of the consequences.

Staff maintained the confidentiality of information about patients.

Staff were discreet, respectful, and responsive when caring for patients. Staff commented that there was a strong culture of compassion within the staff team. Throughout the inspection, we saw good interaction between staff and patients. We observed staff responding to patients calmly and sensitively. Staff were observed to be kind when dealing with a patient that was very agitated. Every time a patient knocked on the office door staff responded promptly.

Patients were able to consent to or withdraw consent to using the electronic systems for monitoring patients’ safety in their rooms.

Staff supported patients to understand and manage their own care, treatment or condition. Staff said that encouraging patients to understand their condition and their treatment was a fundamental part of their work. Patients said that they spoke to their doctor if they had any questions about their medication.

Most patients said staff treated them well and behaved kindly. Some patients said that staff were very good. They said staff listened to their concerns and were supportive.

Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each patient. Of the 17 patients we interviewed, 14 gave very positive feedback about the service. Three patients said they did not always feel listened to.

Staff followed policy to keep patient information confidential. Information held on electronic systems was protected. Staff entered a personal username and password to access this information. Patient information recorded on paper was held in locked filing cabinets.

The hospital made adjustments for disabled patients – for example, by ensuring disabled people’s access to premises and by meeting patients’ specific communication needs. The information provided was in a form accessible to the particular patient group. Each ward had a bespoke Surrey and Borders information leaflet with details on treatments, local services, patients’ rights and how to complain Staff could made information leaflets available in languages spoken by patients.

Specific dietary requirements could be met by the kitchen and there was food suitable for religious and cultural needs.

Staff ensured that patients had access to appropriate spiritual support.

People told us that they were supported to have choice and control over their care and to make decisions about their care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service treated people as individuals and make sure their care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences, taking account of their strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Patients came from diverse cultural backgrounds. Staff recognised this and provided facilities to meet patients cultural and religious needs.

The wards promoted people’s independence, so they knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff made sure patients could access advocacy services. Information on how to contact the independent mental health advocacy service was displayed on a notice board.

The ward held a daily planning meeting. This enabled staff and patients to plan leave and activities collaboratively. They Hospital had facilitated patients’ involvement in the redesign of the hospital. For example, they engaged patients in choosing the layout and design of the wards, the colour themes and furniture for the wards to create a more therapeutic, less clinical environment.

Staff introduced patients to the ward and the services as part of their admission. Health care assistants said they provide patients with an introduction and orientation to the ward.

Staff within the service had a very good understanding of each patient’s mental health, their risk history and their social circumstances outside hospital.

Occupational therapists and activity co-ordinators supported patients to pursue their interests and hobbies. For example, some patients attended the gym in the hospital each day. We saw that there was a basic activity plan for each ward and activity staff were trying to cover a 7 day occupational therapy timetable with the resources they had but the hospital leadership had recognised there were not enough therapy staff at the time of the inspection, however therapy staff were in the process of being recruited and once they had completed the trust induction they would be able to fulfil more of the planned activities.

Staff were also aware of patients’ specific vulnerabilities. For example, they were aware that one patient was vulnerable to exploitation. In response to this, they regularly spoke to this person about their relationship with other patients.

Staff had access to support for their own physical and emotional health needs through an occupational health service.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of staff and supported and enabled them to deliver person centred care. The redesign of the hospital had taken into consideration having a significant portion of the hospital designed to be staff wellness areas and a dedicated staff garden. The provider recognised staff success within the service through staff awards.

Staff told us that morale across the hospital had been high since the opening of the new wards and this had continued to improve significantly following investment and support from the Trust. Staff said the head of nursing for the hospital was approachable, supportive and engaged with staff on the wards. Staff felt respected, supported and valued.

The service had introduced well-being clinics for staff, including a clinic for staff working on night shifts. An employee assistance programme was available to staff. Staff felt positive and proud about working for the provider and their team.

Staff and managers said they found senior managers at the hospital to be very supportive.

Staff were able to access specialist training in working with people with autism and challenging behaviour and it was reported that a lot of work had been completed across the services to improve staff culture and morale which had a positive impact on the patients. Staff appraisals included conversations about career development and how it could be supported.

The senior leadership team were felt to have a strong presence on the wards and staff knew who the senior leaders and clinicians were and how to access them. The staff reported that they felt the ward managers had an open door policy and recognised the responsibilities that that the ward managers had.