Learning and improving: our 2026 Annual Magazine

This year’s Annual Magazine is built around the hugely important and highly relevant theme of Learning and Improving.

2025/26 has been a demanding year. Following several Care Quality Commission inspections, including a Well-Led review, our overall Trust rating moved from Outstanding to Requires Improvement. We acknowledge and understand the impact of this position. In doing do, our collective focus is and has been on responding with honesty, determination and a clear commitment to improve.

It is important that we also acknowledge that the CQC recognised some of our strengths, including innovation, partnership working and commitment to quality improvement. Whilst not losing sight of the positives, the CQC were clear on those things that we must do better, particularly governance, leadership, culture and ensuring learning is applied consistently. These responsibilities sit firmly with the Board and senior leadership team. Our collective challenge is to create the conditions and environments for our staff to thrive, speak up and make improvement part of everyday practice.
 
Throughout this magazine you will read stories showing how colleagues across the Trust are responding to that challenge. From improving access to crisis support and strengthening community-based care, to reducing restrictive practice, listening to lived-experience and supporting staff wellbeing, these examples reflect our determination to learn, improve and put people first.
 
One of the strongest messages from the CQC review and from our own staff, service users and carers, is that we improve when and how we listen. Learning comes from being open about what is working well and what is not, valuing feedback and ensuring lessons lead to meaningful change.
 
Improvement is rarely achieved through a single initiative or strategy. It comes through consistent effort, honest reflection, strong partnerships, compassionate leadership and a culture where everyone feels respected, valued and able to contribute.
 
Despite the challenges we face, the commitment, resilience and professionalism of our people continue to stand out. Everyday, staff across our Trust deliver high-quality, compassionate care to the people and communities we serve. In recognising the present challenges and those that lay ahead, it is vital that we also recognise the exceptional work that continues across CNTW.
 
As we look ahead, we should do so with grounded optimism. There is much more to do, but we have strong foundations with dedicated staff, valued partners, a clear strategy and a collective determination to improve.
 
I hope this magazine provides encouragement and insight into the progress being made across our organisation. Improvement is and must always be a continuous responsibility that belongs to all of us.
 
Thank you for your continued support and for everything you do to help us learn, improve and move forward together.

Darren Best
Chair, Council of Governors and Board of Directors
 

Welcome to this year's Annual Magazine. The theme of this edition is Learning and Improving, and it feels particularly relevant as we reflect on the year behind us and the work that lies ahead.

This has been a challenging year for our Trust. In April, the Care Quality Commission published its well-led inspection report and rated the organisation as Requires Improvement. We accepted the findings of that report and have been clear that there are issues we need to address, particularly in how we lead, support and listen to our people. At the same time, the report recognised many of our strengths, including the commitment of our staff, the quality of care provided to patients and our reputation for innovation and partnership working. Those strengths give us a strong foundation on which to build.

One of the things I have learned during my time as Chief Executive is that improvement starts with honesty. It starts with listening carefully, reflecting on what people tell us and being willing to change. Organisations that improve are not organisations that pretend they have all the answers. They are organisations that learn.

That spirit runs throughout this magazine. The articles you will read are not stories about perfection. They are stories about people identifying opportunities to do things differently and better. Whether it is helping people access support earlier through Hope Haven, developing more meaningful approaches to safety planning, improving staff wellbeing, reducing restrictive practice or strengthening community services, each example shows colleagues working together to improve outcomes for the people we serve.

What gives me confidence for the future is not that we have solved every challenge. We have not. It is the determination I see across the organisation every day. I see people who care deeply about providing the best possible care and support. I see teams who are prepared to challenge themselves, learn from experience and embrace change. I see colleagues who remain committed to making a positive difference, even when circumstances are difficult.

The year ahead will continue to bring challenges, but it also brings opportunities. Through our Model of Care and Support and our wider improvement programme, we are working to create an organisation where people feel valued and supported, where good leadership is experienced consistently across the Trust, and where the care we provide continues to meet the changing needs of our communities.

I hope this magazine gives you a sense of both the progress we are making and the ambition that continues to drive us. Most of all, I hope it highlights the people behind that progress.

Thank you for everything you do to support our patients, carers, communities and each other

James Duncan
Chief Executive