Agenda item

To provide an update about the work and performance of The Harbour (in-patient mental health facility in Blackpool), particularly focussing on the Trust’s responses to the National Staff Survey and the Trust’s re-inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which took place during September 2016.

Mr Steve Winterson, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust presented the progress report on The Harbour. .

The report covered the response to the Care Quality Commission’s inspection in late 2016 which was being taken through a wider long-term sustainable improvement plan. Mr Matt Joyce, Associate Director of Quality Assurance and Monitoring, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust was also in attendance.

Members had also requested findings from the Trust’s recent staff survey but the Human Resources Director, who led on the staff survey, had been unable to attend.

The Chairman enquired on the modest response rate of 36% for the staff survey and whether there was an engagement lead at The Harbour to promote better engagement. Mr  Winterson explained that there was no specific designated officer as such, but that the survey had broadly focused on improvements to make The Harbour a ‘good place to work’ for staff and that could also be recommended as a ‘good place to have treatment’. He added that a major staff event had been held to engage staff with ‘Our People Plan’. Attendance had been good and had involved a few thousand staff who also participated in workshops.

Members enquired about staff supervision support and the ‘Duty of Candour’. With reference to the duty, Mr Joyce explained that around 400 incidents were reported weekly which was a lot but  that it reflected an open approach and promoted learning. Regular monitoring reports were also produced and staff were encouraged to write to the Trust’s Chair as an independent person.

In terms of staff supervision support, Mr Joyce advised that improvement was needed so that staff felt that their ‘work was valued’, communication between staff and managers was improved and also so that staff felt more involved in decision-making. It was recognised that staff needed to complete mandatory training. He added that it was important for staff to have a good skills mix and a key programme was ‘Staffing for Equality and Safety’. All this also aimed to recognise growing challenges such as shortage of nurses. Work was being undertaken with a local university to make working at the Trust more attractive.

Mr Joyce added that one particular challenge was the test whether staff would recommend the Trust to families and friends.

Members noted that the findings had listed six areas where The Harbour, as the Blackpool locality, had performed worse than the Trust’s average. Members added that for some areas where The Harbour had performed better than average, the actual results could still be lower than satisfactory. Mr Winterson explained that the findings had been generated by the survey company who had also produced the analysis commentary. A more detailed discussion could take place at a further meeting if required.

Members referred to the wider improvement plan and enquired what was being done about the shortage of beds. Mr Joyce explained that the Trust did not provide all the in-patient mental health beds in Lancashire but did in Blackpool.  He explained that initiatives were being developed to streamline processes to help release beds, e.g. clinical risks and mental health assessments of young people would take place through one tool. The levels of risks would be refined to allow greater focus on higher risk cases.