Our Values

Trust values logoOur values and behaviours shape everything that we do as individuals and as an organisation, they are the foundation of every interaction we have with each other, our patients, their families and carers, our community, and our partners.
 
We originally developed our four core values with our people and patients eight years ago, they formed the framework for how we deliver services and treat one another. We’ve now refreshed our values alongside the development of our five-year strategy.

The ‘Living Our Values’ leaflet sets out our five core values and the behaviours that underpin them, they set a clear standard of what you can expect while you are cared for or work at Homerton Healthcare.

Read the 'Living Our Values' leaflet [pdf]

View web version of 'Living Our Values' leaflet

Living Our Values

Personal

We will give compassionate care that addresses individual needs and is responsive to our patients, service users, their families and carers, and our people.

We will:

  • ensure that relationships with patients and service users are founded on compassion, empathy, and kindness
  • appreciate each person as an individual and address their specific needs to ensure we deliver equitable care
  • actively listen to and involve patients and service users in decisions about their care
  • provide continuity of care through good communication and teamwork

How we will live our values:

  • respond with kindness and compassion to each person’s needs
  • treat each patient and service user as an individual, taking time to listen to and understand their needs and concerns
  • adopt a flexible and creative approach to meet individual needs
  • remember it is the little things that can make the biggest difference
  • work as part of a team to overcome difficulties
  • ensure a welcoming, supportive, and accommodating environment for patients, service users, colleagues, and visitors
  • understand how our individual roles impact on patient care

Safe

We will do everything we can to make our services as safe as possible and constantly seek to learn and improve.

We will:

  • be open and honest when we get things wrong, and do all we can to correct and learn from our mistakes
  • listen to our staff, patients, service users and their families and carers and use their feedback to improve services
  • ensure that we have the right staff, in the right numbers, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time
  • constantly monitor standards of care and respond quickly if there are concerns

How we will live our values:

  • take responsibility for providing safe, harm-free care to every patient and service user
  • be open and honest about safety and report any risks or safety concerns
  • reflect on and learn from mistakes and incidents
  • always communicate clearly and effectively with colleagues
  • seek advice or support when needed
  • share best practice with others and encourage a learning environment
  • challenge, innovate and look for better ways of doing things
  • maintain and develop our skills and knowledge, including keeping statutory and mandatory training up to date
  • consistent supervision and appraisals

Respectful

We will treat others as we would expect ourselves or our families to be treated and cared for.

We will:

  • treat everyone with dignity and respect
  • listen to others and value their contribution
  • provide services that meet the diverse needs of our communities
  • value and support the health and wellbeing of all our staff

How we will live our values:

  • treat others as we would want to be treated
  • introduce ourselves and explain our roles and the care we will provide
  • respect the expertise of patients, service users and colleagues
  • take time to listen and understand other people’s views
  • be aware of, and take responsibility for, how our behaviour and communication style can affect other people
  • help and support each other so that we work well together to achieve our team goals, acknowledging efforts and successes, and saying thank you
  • recognise that people are different and adopt a non-judgemental approach
  • value other people’s time by making sure we are punctual, professional and deliver on the commitments we make
  • always maintain confidentiality and be aware of our surroundings when discussing sensitive topics

Inclusive

We will respect and value the diversity of our patients and people so everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging and can be their authentic self.

We will:

  • celebrate and value everyone’s uniqueness and difference
  • create psychologically safe spaces that enable people to bring their whole, authentic selves to work
  • foster a sense of belonging
  • have an anti-racist approach and tackle all forms of discrimination

How we will live our values:

  • enact and implement policies, procedures, and processes equitably
  • embrace change and encourage honest, open conversations that support an inclusive environment
  • be considerate, kind, and compassionate when opinions and approaches differ from our own
  • recognise that individuals have different strengths and needs, and work to understand and support them
  • be mindful that we all have biases, and we will work to understand what they are and take steps to challenge any biases we hold
  • ensure communication is accessible, making sure not to exclude colleagues, patients, service users and their families and carers with different communication needs
  • positively intervene if we experience or witness behaviour that is not in line with our values

Responsible

We will take responsibility for our actions and any problems that we come across – we will lead by example.

We will:

  • be open and transparent about our performance and our ambitious continuous improvement targets
  • think differently and look for new and innovative ways of working
  • ensure our care is evidence based and follows best practice
  • do the right thing, even when it is difficult

How we will live our values:

  • strive for the highest standard and act as role model for others
  • take responsibility for resolving problems, seek help from others when needed, and see efforts through
  • fulfil the commitments made to colleagues, patients, and service users and their families and carers
  • reflect on our individual performance and challenge ourselves to improve
  • foster a culture of learning and identify opportunities to develop
  • offer and receive feedback in a kind and compassionate way that creates opportunities for improvement
  • have a positive and proactive approach
  • ensure our people have a clear plan for personal learning and development and is supported to progress their career
  • maintain a professional appearance, including wearing the correct uniform and name badge