Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

CQC Reports and Ratings Published - 78% of our services rated good or outstanding

Our Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports and ratings have been published following our comprehensive inspection in July 2016.

Whilst the Trust’s overall rating has remained as requires improvement, the CQC recognised the hard work that had taken place to make a lot of improvements since the previous inspection in 2014 and this has been reflected in the core service reports and ratings.

The inspection team looked at the Trust as a whole and at its 13 core services. Click here to see a full list of our core services and how they were rated.

Trust Chief Executive Sara Munro said: “We have made significant improvements since our last full inspection in 2014, with 78% of our services rated good or outstanding. This includes a rating of outstanding for our national deaf child and adolescent mental health service based in York and a rating of good for our older peoples’ wards in Leeds which had received a rating of inadequate two years ago.

“I’d like to pay tribute to our staff who’ve worked very hard to make the improvements we’ve seen in the CQC’s reports. There is a lot they can be proud of in these reports and there are some very positive comments from service users, carers and families too.”

More information including the full suite of reports can be found on our website.

Last updated on 24 November 2016.

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Annual Review

The Trust’s Annual Review, ‘Our Year in Review 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2016’, is now available.

The publication provides a summary of our work over the past financial year, and looks back at our achievements and key developments within our services.

It also includes information about our commitment to putting service users at the heart of everything we do, the Trust’s membership and membership campaigns, and quality and performance. 

Associated document

0209___Annual_Review_Linked_Pages.pdf (.pdf, 2.7 MB)

Last updated on 29 September 2016.

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Trust ranks highly for diversity

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has been ranked 20th in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List for its continued dedicated to improving workplace diversity.

The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers is a definitive list of UK based organisations that demonstrate the promotion of all strands of diversity including age, disability, gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), race, faith and religion; the definitive list focuses on representation at management, senior, executive and board level.  The list recognises the outstanding efforts of organisations that have begun their journey in attracting and retaining a truly diverse workforce, achieving equality, diversity and inclusion.

One of the initiatives that has been influential is the Trust’s employee engagement programme, Your Voice Counts, which has successfully identified key issues and initiated changes which are important to staff. Following staff feedback one key area of focus for 2015/16 was race equality and the Workforce Race Equality Ideas Implementation Group was subsequently established with staff to oversee work in this area.

Key proposals included an improved talent management process, which has resulted in the recruitment of eight graduates from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds in to a new 12-month programme.  The programme is aimed at supporting and developing the graduates to gain the experience and skills needed for management level posts in the NHS.

A programme of learning and development is offered to staff to equip our workforce with the skills, knowledge and competency to effectively support the health, cultural and social needs of individuals.  Areas of focus include cultural context, communication, key current issues and challenges, sharing best practice and interactive case studies. 

In May 2016, the Trust held an equalities engagement event to encourage and facilitate open discussion with a wide cross-section of staff and a number of areas emerged from the event which will help to develop the Trust’s future equality priorities. 

Caroline Bamford, Head of Diversity and Inclusivity at the Trust, said:  “We are delighted that the hard work by our staff has been recognised in such a way. The work the Trust has undertaken focussed on both the development of diversity and inclusion within our workforce and in the way we deliver mental health and learning disability services. Our staff work with people with very complex needs and at times this can present many challenges, but the desire from our staff to deliver person-centred care which meets the needs of the diverse communities we serve is always a priority.”

More information at The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List

Last updated on 13 September 2016.

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Trust ranked top four in the country for junior doctor training

As a new year of training begins for some junior doctors at the Trust, we have achieved outstanding results in the national survey amongst existing trainees published by the General Medical Council (GMC). The Trust was ranked fourth place for overall satisfaction in training in England in the 2016 survey.

The national GMC survey asked junior doctors for their views on their postgraduate medical training across 15 indicators.  The results from the 2016 survey put the Trust in the top 20% in nine of these areas:

• Overall satisfaction
• Induction
• Clinical supervision in hours
• Clinical supervision out of hours
• Educational supervision
• Adequate experience
• Feedback
• Supportive environment
• Reporting systems

The overall satisfaction rate on the training received at the Trust has increased for the fourth year in a row to 87% and the quality of clinical supervision our junior doctors have received has increased for the third year in a row to 93%.

Sharon Nightingale, Director of Medical Education at the Trust said: “These results are a really good example of how hard the junior doctors, consultants and the multidisciplinary teams have worked together to ensure we deliver good quality training.  Doctors in training play a vital role in the delivery of safe, high quality care to our patients.

"Working together with the Medical Education Centre we have continued to build on our established training programme, which sees junior doctors engaging in multi-disciplinary work right across the Trust.  Junior doctors work as part of teams which ensures that our trainees feel very much part of, rather than separate, to the Trust.

"We have excellent working relationships with Health Education England, particularly the Yorkshire School of Psychiatry and Leeds University. It’s a combination of all three organisations working closely together, with our trainees, that delivers such excellent results.”

Ben Alderson, junior doctor at the Trust said: "The Trust’s training programme has a well-deserved, fantastic reputation.  The team I work with is supportive and friendly and the experience of training at the Trust will not only help to provide the delivery of safe, high quality care to our service users but it willimprove my skills and give me a solid foundation for my future career."

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You will find more information on the GMC National Training Survey 2016 on their website here.

Read Ben Alderson's blog for more on what it is like to be a junior doctor in training at the Trust.

Last updated on 01 September 2016.

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Becklin Centre - Healthwatch Leeds Report

An organisation set up to help local people get the best out of their health and care services has praised the work of staff at the Becklin Centre.

Healthwatch Leeds, who research patient experience and feed this back to providers like Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, revisited wards 1, 3, 4 and 5, following an initial ‘Enter and View’ visit in February 2015.

They recognised that ‘significant improvements’ had been made in that time, reporting that service users felt safe, listened to and well cared for.

During their visit, staff and volunteers from Healthwatch spent an hour on each of the wards, speaking to eleven service users. They also visited the Foodworks Café.

They noted a marked improvement in the range of activities on offer on the wards and in the therapy suite and passed on positive feedback about the variety of food and relaxed atmosphere in the café.

They acknowledged the actions being taken by the Trust to manage vacancies and reported praise for staff, with almost three quarters of service users saying that staff are either always available when they need them or will make time to talk to them when they are busy.

They stated that over 90 per cent of patients said they felt safe on the ward either all or most of the time and commended the Trust for beginning to introduce the Safewards approach, where patients and staff work together to make the ward a better place for everybody.

The Healthwatch team also identified an area for improvement, calling for service users to be made aware of, and be more involved in, their care plans.

Anthony Deery, Director of Nursing, Professions and Quality at the Trust, said: “It is pleasing to note that the progress that had been made since the last visit was so evident.

“We are delighted to have such positive feedback regarding the Foodworks café. It is important that service users and their visitors are able to have time away from the ward in such a friendly environment.

“We are working hard to address recruitment issues and have held large scale events in January and April. We will continue to monitor our progress and take action to address shortfalls where necessary. This will undoubtedly improve the experience for service users, although we do recognise we are working in a very competitive market for nurses.

“It is reassuring to hear that staff are available to spend time with service users and that the service users knew who their key worker was. Through our recruitment programme we will ensure that we have the resource available to give the one to one care that is required.

“It is also heartening to hear that the vast majority of service users felt safe and I’m sure that the Safewards work has contributed to this. This scheme will continue to be rolled out across the wards.

“It has been highlighted that some service users were not familiar with their care plans. This is something which we would like to address.”

The report will be shared with service commissioners and the Care Quality Commission. 

Last updated on 06 July 2016.

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Professor Wright's "outstanding contribution to the deaf community"

Professor Barry Wright, Clinical Lead of the National Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) at Lime Trees in York, has been presented with a Highly Commended Award for his "outstanding contribution to the deaf community" at the 175th Birthday Honours Awards for the Royal Association of Deaf people (RAD). The award is in recognition of Barry’s longstanding work in identifying and rectifying the lack of access for deaf children to mental health services in North Yorkshire. From 2004, Barry established a pilot service in York, to provide the first mental health service for deaf children outside of London. Barry then led a successful national bid to the Government and NHS England to establish a ten centre service, throughout England, which has become known as National Deaf CAMHS. This service continues to offer opportunities for both deaf and hearing staff to work together to provide high quality services to deaf children and their families in their local communities.

Last updated on 06 July 2016.

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Place of safety for vulnerable people

Place of safety for vulnerable people

An enhanced Section 136 place of safety for vulnerable people with mental health conditions opened at The Becklin Centre in October 2015.

The facility is for people who are detained by the police under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and is a partnership between our Trust and West Yorkshire Police to help reduce the number of vulnerable people being detained in police cells across the county.

The suite is exclusively for adults and has four purpose built rooms - twice the number of the old facility. The rooms allow people to be monitored regularly and provide an improved environment which will aid their recovery. There is also more provision to hold people who may be intoxicated through drugs or alcohol.

The enhanced facility offers more capacity and a much better environment to support recovery for people who are going through a very tough time. It is staffed by a highly skilled clinical team who are fully equipped to help people who might be a danger to themselves or others.

The old Section 136 suite has been refurbished to provide a separate area for children and young people. The dedicated Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) suite opened in March 2016 and has two rooms specifically for those detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act who are under 18-years-old.

Young people who are brought to the suite by the police will be seen and assessed by a CAMHS doctor.

Children and young people have always been included within the Trust’s 136 service provision; however there are many benefits to having a separate area for them.

The Trust is committed to seeing everyone in the most appropriate and safe environment and it can be daunting for a child in a vulnerable or distressed state to be in contact with adult service users.

The dedicated CAMHS 136 place of safety offers them separation and provides privacy for children and their families at what is a particularly difficult time.

The enhanced Section 136 suite and CAMHS 136 suite in Leeds form part of a wider Crisis Assessment Service run by the Trust for people experiencing acute mental health issues. The wider service works across health, social care and the voluntary sector to improve access to appropriate mental health and support services.

Last updated on 06 July 2016.

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Million pound boost for young people's services

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is opening a new unit at Mill Lodge in York for their Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The residential unit, which was previously based at Lime Trees in the Clifton area will move into refurbished and improved premises at Mill Lodge in Huntington.

There will be an increase from the current 9 to 16 beds, in line with a national increase in CAMHs beds, meaning that more young people with mental health issues in York can stay within their local community and be near their families. Young people at the unit will also benefit from accommodation with washing facilities, leisure facilities and improved wheelchair access. There will also be a therapeutic kitchen and quiet areas. 

Professor Barry Wright, Clinical Director of Services, is confident that this will lead to better outcomes for young people in York and North Yorkshire. Professor Wright said:

 “We are very proud to be making significant improvements for young people who need residential care. We are constantly striving to improve services for young people with serious mental health problems. 

We have listened carefully to young people themselves in designing a facility which will take us into the 21st century. We thank the community for all their support with this.”

Jill Copeland, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Our Trust is delighted to be able to open these improved facilities for young people in York and North Yorkshire. This new unit will help us to provide safe and good quality care and will make a real difference for young people and their families”.

NHS Property Services funded the refurbishment of Mill Lodge to accommodate the Tier 4 CAMH service at a cost of £1,159,612.  Ruth Jamieson, Project Manager for NHS Property Services spearheaded the project and worked closely with local young people to ensure the site was developed around their needs and their interests. She said:

 “It’s been great working with the young service users who have been involved since the beginning of the project; choosing colours, furnishings, fixtures and fittings to ensure we provide a finished environment that is comfortable, safe and personal to them.

“I’m really pleased with the finished 16 bed CAMHS unit and its associated facilities and I hope that the new building and environmental improvements will greatly enhance the experience for young people and their families.”

Last updated on 13 February 2015.

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2015 campaign launch: 'Man Up?'

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has launched its latest membership campaign – ‘ManUp?’ with a focus on Men’s mental health. 

The campaign aims to highlight all of the fantastic work done around the Trust for men with mental health issues and/or learning disabilities, as well as showcasing activities, information and help available locally by partner organisations and the third sector. 

Commenting on the campaign at the Trust’s Board meeting earlier this week, Chris Butler, Chief Executive of Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust said: “Men’s mental health is a taboo subject.  72% of people treated for depression are women, yet 75% of people who take their own lives are men also suicide is the single most common cause of death in men under 35.  It’s time do something about this.

“That’s why our 2015 membership campaign focuses on men’s mental health and wellbeing. We aim to challenge perceptions, showcase our services, highlight available support and encourage conversations about what is often a life or death issue.”

The Trust will explore the theme of men’s mental health and wellbeing throughout the year using a range of themed monthly topics, developed closely with clinical peers, governors and local partners and with lots of support from local communities in Leeds, York and North Yorkshire

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is supporting this year’s campaign. He said: “I welcome the work of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in encouraging men to seek health care, specifically for improving mental health and wellbeing. ‘Man Up?’ offers open access of conversation and information for men, their family or friends to assist individuals to get help. Don’t put off doing an act of good – do it today!”

1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, occupation, race, just like any other health issue, however stigma and misunderstanding can be barriers to seeking help.

It is a common preconception that men tend to put off getting any kind of help because they think they are supposed to be tough, self-reliant, and able to manage pain and take charge of situations. This can make it hard for men to acknowledge they have any health problems, let alone a mental health problem so help us to tackle the preconceptions and barriers people with mental health issues face. Get involved, join in the conversation and find out more online. For further information about membership, feel free to email us or call 0113 3055944.

Last updated on 13 February 2015.

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