Black Country Healthcare rated good.jpgStaff at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been praised for their compassion and kindness in the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report that has been published today.

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, that provides mental health and learning disability and autism services across the Black Country and family healthcare services in Dudley,  has been rated ‘Good’ by inspectors with service users and carers sharing positive feedback on the care they have received.

As well as highlighting that the Board had developed a supportive and collaborative culture, staff told inspectors they were proud to work for the trust and make a difference to those who used services.

The rating comes as the first inspection for the Trust which formed in April 2020 following the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

Other areas of positive practice highlighted includes:

  • Patients said that staff treated them with respect and dignity.
  • Staff understood the individual needs of patients and supported them to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition.
  • There was good staff morale in services and the Trust promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for development and career progression.
  • They found there was a commitment that leaders and managers supported everyone and acted as a role model upholding the Trusts values and behaviours
  • There had been good engagement with external stakeholders with the Trust having key roles in the development of the local health and social care system collaborating with care providers to improve mental health services

The CQC rated the Trust ‘good’ overall and ‘good’ for being effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The CQC has rated the Trust as ‘requiring improvement’ on safety. It highlighted challenges with some of the ward environments, the need to ensure patients are provided with more information around medication and treatment and noted that access to care and support slowed the process of discharge, however the CQC noted that the Trust had plans in place to address these.

Welcoming the report, Marsha Foster, Interim Chief Executive Officer said: “I am delighted that our latest inspection by the CQC recognises the continued and sustained hard work of our staff, without whom our achievement of a good rating would not have been possible.

I am particularly proud that the CQC witnessed many examples of the caring nature of staff, and that they could see there was a positive and open culture across the Trust. I would also like to thank service users and carers for their contributions and continued involvement in helping us shape and develop services across Black Country Healthcare.

Whilst there are many positives to take from the report it does highlight areas for improvement, particularly around our physical environments where we care for patients. We are working hard to address what needs to improve and we are committed to continuous learning.

This report puts us in a great place to continue to work with partners across the Black Country to improve the quality of care and provide outstanding services for the communities we serve.”

A copy of the report will be available shortly via Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (cqc.org.uk)