Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment

We’re inviting enthusiastic people to join us as Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) Assessors. Your work will influence how our hospitals and community settings look, feel and work for patients, families and carers.

What is PLACE?

PLACE is the only national assessment programme that collects data relating to the patient environment and the only process that provides a consistent approach so that all providers are assessing the same things to the same standards.

PLACE helps MFT understand how well they we meeting the needs of our patients and identify where improvements can be made.

It is recommended that all NHS trusts, voluntary, independent, and private healthcare providers undertake annual PLACE assessments of the quality of non-clinical services and condition of their buildings to look at.

PLACE aims to promote the principles established by the NHS Constitution that focus on areas that matters to patients, families, and carers:

• Putting patients first
• Active feedback from public, patients and staff
• Adhering to the basics of quality care
• Ensuring services are provided in a clean and safe environment that is fit for purpose

PLACE assesses a number of non- clinical aspects of the Healthcare environment identified as important to by the patients and public, known as Domains:

• Cleanliness
• Food and Hydration
• Privacy, dignity, and wellbeing
• Condition, appearance, and maintenance
• Dementia: how well the needs of patients with Dementia are met
• Disability: how well the needs of patients with a disability are met

What is PLACE Lite?

PLACE-Lite is recommended good practice to complement the annual PLACE collection and it is an effective way of assessing and monitoring progress in areas identified as requiring improvement and for preparation in advance of the main collection. PLACE (including PLACE Lite) focuses on the everyday things that really matter to patients – including privacy and dignity, cleanliness, food, accessibility, and how welcoming our spaces feel.

Why get involved?

• Be the patient voice in shaping improvements
• Understand how our hospitals and community sites operate
• Work as part of a friendly mixed team of staff and fellow patient assessors
• Make a practical, meaningful difference in a single day (or even a few hours)

What to expect

You will be invited to undertake some training prior to undertaking the assessment. This will ensure that you fully understand the PLACE process and what is expected of you as an assessor. It will also give you an opportunity to become familiar with the assessment forms and the different things that we will be asking you to look at when you are undertaking the inspection.

It will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions.

Then on the day of PLACE you will take part in a short pre-assessment briefing before joining a small team (including MFT colleagues). Together, you’ll walk around care environments, talk through what you see, and score areas based on a clear national framework. No clinical knowledge is needed – we are interested in what ‘patients’ notice.

The practical bits

• PLACE Lite assessments usually take place between 9am and 4pm
• Shorter 2–3 hour sessions are available in community settings
• Travel and parking expenses will be reimbursed
• Refreshments and lunch vouchers will be provided

When?

Interested? We’d love to hear from you!

To register your interest or to find out more, email: PLACE@mft.nhs.uk or complete this online form.