CQC publishes reports on services run by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published two reports on services run by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, following inspections carried out in January.

One was a focused inspection of community health services for adults, to look at pressure ulcer care and the oversight of care relating to pressure ulcers following an increase in incidents relating to pressure care.

Following this inspection, community health services for adults has been re-rated good overall and for being safe and effective. Well-led has improved from requires improvement to good. Responsive and caring were not included in this inspection and remain rated as good.

Also, an unannounced inspection of acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units was prompted in part due to receiving information of concern about the safety and quality of services being provided.

The rating for the service overall and for being safe and well-led, has again been rated as requires improvement. Responsive has been re-rated as good. Effective and caring have improved from requires improvement to good.

The overall rating for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust remains as requires improvement.

In community health services for adults, inspectors found:

• Staff worked well together for the benefit of people, advised how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information
• Staff understood how and when to assess whether a person had the capacity to make decisions about their care
• Staff treated people with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and understood the individual needs of people
• Safeguarding processes were in place which reflected national guidance and were understood by all staff. There was a clear structure of reporting and responsibility for safeguarding.

However

• Not all temporary staff had access to the electronic health records of people they were caring for.

In acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units, inspectors found:

• Staff minimised the use of restrictive practices and followed good practice with respect to safeguarding
• The ward teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of people on the wards
• Staff understood and discharged their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Staff treated people with compassion and kindness and understood the individual needs of people.

However:

• Ward environments were not always safe, clean, well maintained and fit for purpose
• There were high vacancy rates for registered nurses across the service and staff did not always receive the necessary mandatory training to keep people safe.