Employer Story

CQI training supports improved CQC rating at NHS Trust

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) provides mental health, social care and specialist community services across Lincolnshire and is committed to promoting recovery and quality of life through effective and innovative care.

The Trust introduced a new Quality Strategy in 2017 which aligned with national NHS priorities for continuous quality improvement (CQI) and it approached Skills Training UK to deliver apprenticeships training which would help drive the strategy forward. The Apprenticeship Levy was used to fund the training.

Staff were selected from clinical, administrative and financial teams for the CQI Level 2 training which took place over 13 months at LPFT’s training and development centre as well as in the workplace. Individual support was always available during the training to help staff members with less experience of project management.

During the first six sessions the focus was on the principles and techniques of CQI as well as effective team working, workplace organisation, visual management and safe working practices. The second half of the CQI training involved the team identifying and tackling workplace projects which directly addressed an inefficiency they had identified in their own area of work.

Skills Training UK were already working with neighbouring trust the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust which was important to us because it was clear that they had the expertise to tailor and deliver a programme that was suited to a complex and often challenging NHS environment. Staff are at the heart of our culture and the Apprenticeship Levy has enabled us to provide more opportunities for staff to learn and develop within their role so that they can continue to provide excellent care to our patients.

Kay Gilman, Learning and Development Manager, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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The staff involved have learnt to apply a structured approach to problem solving which means they can identify, implement and evaluate quality improvement projects. leading to savings in time, cost and ultimately an improvement in patient outcomes.

The success and completion of the CQI Apprenticeships has supported LPFT in receiving a ‘Good’ rating during their latest CQC inspection. The CQC report gave positive endorsements of how LPFT has empowered staff to be heard and become part of the culture of change.

What the learners said

The training was excellent and we were able to instantly implement what we had learnt through the development of improvement projects. It has been amazing to see how small changes to the trust can make a big difference, both to staff and patients. Staff are now more aware of the resources available within the organisation and the benefits of running themed events for patients.

Jacqueline Tyson, Care Quality Champion at Witham Court

I've worked for the NHS for 36 years, and have previously run projects off of enthusiasm and passion. The training provided the systems, tools and procedures so that I can bring structure to that enthusiasm, which will make it easier to evaluate the difference we are making to patients. Staff are now measuring the increased amount of therapeutic activity against inceidents and falls, which are expected to decrease as a result of the project.

Carol Rogers, Occupational Therapist at Witham Court

Being relatively new to the trust, the training has allowed me to work directly with members of the clinical team so I could understand the bigger picture of the organisation, discover new ways of working and ultimately learn the benefits of collaboration.

Natasha Stacey, Finance Assistant

The planning tools that we learnt from the programme were extremely useful and showed the benefits of documenting everything with a structured approach. It's also a great feeling to know that something you have done can have a wider impact than you ever imagined.

Terri Birkett, Staff Nurse at Francis Willis

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