Locala Community Partnerships is providing ‘good’ NHS community health services across Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford, according to its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report published today.
CQC inspections have five key themes – safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well led. In this latest inspection report, Locala, a not-for-profit social enterprise, has received a rating of “Good” in every one of these inspection areas, and across every one of its services.
Chief Executive, Karen Jackson, said: “I couldn’t be more proud of Locala’s CQC report. It is entirely down to the hard work and dedication of all Locala’s colleagues who ensure that we deliver high quality, safe and effective NHS services every single day. I am particularly proud that we have achieved this as a colleague-owned social enterprise.
“There are some hugely pleasing comments in the report about Locala’s colleagues. These include the fact that colleagues feel respected, supported and valued, that there is a clear focus by colleagues on the needs of their patients, and that colleagues are proud to work for the services. As leader of the organisation these are incredible comments to hear.”
Two areas of inspection that have improved since Locala’s previous CQC report are “safe” and “effective”. In today’s report it is recognised that many successes have been achieved, including the establishment of systems to learn from incidents, complaints and safeguarding alerts, and the embedding of an open culture where incidents are reported and discussed.
Locala has again been praised for its achievements in the area of “caring”. The comments from the CQC are: “Across the four core services we saw that staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.”
Also highlighted as an area of success is Locala’s strong partnership working, for example as the lead provider for Thriving Kirklees, the services in Kirklees for 0 to 19 year olds and their families. Feedback from external stakeholders included recognition of Locala embracing new ways of working in an integrated way to deliver service.
The leadership of Locala also receives positive feedback in the report, including the comment that “The leadership, governance structure and culture within the organisation showed an open approach, driving improvements to deliver good quality, patient centred care.”, and that “Leaders understood and managed the priorities and issues the services faced. They were proactive in looking at ways of improving services and staff at all levels were encouraged to participate.”
In addition to being awarded a rating of “Good”, the CQC also found examples of outstanding practice in a number of services.
Locala is a colleague-owned provider of NHS community healthcare services to people in Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford. Colleagues therefore make key decisions about the services that are provide, and how the organisation works, with and supports, communities. As a social enterprise the organisation invests any financial surplus into further improving healthcare services funding and community projects. Most recently grants totalling £26,000 were awarded to local community organisations.
