Kernow Health CIC operates Cudmore House as its headquarters in Truro, Cornwall, with treatment centres located in Penzance, Helston, Truro, St Austell, Bodmin, Liskeard, Stratton, and Launceston.
It has now received a “Good” rating in its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, published on January 9, 2025.
The assessment, conducted on October 2, 2024, evaluated several key areas:
Safe: Good
Effective: Good
Caring: Good
Responsive: Good
Well-led: Good
Additionally, Kernow Health provides a school immunisation service, and a children’s eating disorder service, and host the Cornwall training hub to support general practice, although these services were not included in the latest inspection.
The CQC’s assessment highlighted several strengths at Cudmore House:
Learning Culture
Staff felt supported to raise concerns and were treated with compassion and understanding.
Managers encouraged openness, and learning from events was shared through meetings and bulletins.
However, some staff noted that learning was not always disseminated across the entire team.
Safe Systems and Pathways
Staff were knowledgeable about their responsibilities, ensuring patient referrals were actioned promptly.
There were appropriate pathways to refer individuals to other services, meeting diverse needs effectively.
Safeguarding
Staff were trained to appropriate levels and confident in raising concerns.
They understood how to identify and report safeguarding issues, with policies demonstrating partnership with local safeguarding teams.
Well-led
The service had a clear vision and strategy promoting high-quality care.
Staff understood their roles and responsibilities, and leaders were described as capable, compassionate, and inclusive.
The service encouraged openness and honesty, fostering a positive culture.
Despite these positive findings, the report identified areas for improvement:
Staffing Levels
Some staff reported insufficient staffing during evenings and weekends, leading to reliance on sessional staff.
Leaders were aware of and actively addressing this issue, noting improvements at the time of assessment.
Freedom to Speak Up
While staff knew about the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role, not all were aware of the designated individual.
Concerns were raised about the guardians being part of the senior leadership team, potentially deterring staff from speaking up.
Leaders acknowledged this and identified alternative staff for the role.
The latest inspection found an improvement on the previous assessment in March 2022, when despite being rated ‘Good’ overall, and in the majority of areas, the question ‘Are services safe?’ was found to be ‘Inadeqate’ at that time.
The CQC states in its 2025 report: “At this assessment, we found patients were being reviewed and monitored in line with guidelines and staff were knowledgeable within their roles.
“There was a strong focus on safety, we saw managers investigated concerns. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and supported them to ask questions.
“We recognised improvements had been made since the last assessment in March 2022, in relation to the safe management of medicines and equipment.
“There had also been improvements in the systems and processes for the safe management of Infection Prevention Control (IPC).”