Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission monitors, inspects and regulates services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. They publish what they find to help people choose the care they receive.
In September and October 2019, the CQC undertook a detailed inspection of the Trust’s clinical services and carried out an expert review into how well the Trust is led.
As part of the inspection, which focused on the safety and quality of mental health services in south west London, the CQC interviewed hundreds of staff and patients.
The CQC acknowledged that we are a values-led, open and transparent Trust which is focused on our patients’ care.
The Trust is proud to have further strengthened its ‘Good’ rating and that the report shows that the CQC has confidence in the leadership of the Trust.
The CQC report found many examples of outstanding practice on our mental health wards and in the community setting which include:
- In our wards for older people with mental health problems, staff provided excellent support to families and carers, considered their needs and were proactive in involving them in their relative’s care. The social worker held a social care surgery every week, supporting carers in the consideration of future placements. Staff developed specific care plans for carers to ensure their own needs were met.
- Staff provided a very high standard of physical health care and treatment to patients.
- The Trust’s ‘safety in motion programme’ was part of the Trust’s reducing restrictive interventions programme; staff were committed to using the least restrictive practice and this was evident in the low usage of restraint, seclusion and rapid tranquilisation.
- On Avalon Ward, the occupational therapist developed a ‘Your Group, Your Say’ workshop where patients could make suggestions for new ward groups and then vote on what activities they wanted
The CQC 2019 inspection report also highlighted several areas of good practice across the Trust. The report said:
- The Trust had set up an expert panel, chaired by an academic expert, to look at the experience of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) patients who are over-represented in mental health services and less likely to use talking therapies. The panel is committed to developing a work programme to make Trust services appropriate to BAME needs and ensure equitable, safe and effective mental health care
- The pharmacy team had written a successful business case for a project on medicines optimisation in care homes for people living with learning disabilities which received praise from GPs and other stakeholders across the five boroughs
- There has been significant improvement in service user and carer involvement, as well as staff engagement
- The Trust felt more energised, particularly in terms of the work in relation to inclusivity, equality and diversity
- The organisation felt open, positive and transparent at all levels