Stuart Dunn, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said the NSFT management had been told where further improvements were needed, including maintaining stability and improving accountability.
It also highlighted issues in staff having trust in managers to deal with complaints and racism in the workplace. The NSFT said it had implemented changes to bring improvements.
Mr Dunn added: “We found leaders had started to make significant progress in areas such as board stability, management and engagement with people who use services.
“However, more is needed to ensure improvements are embedded and delivered consistently across the organisation.
“Staff told us they felt services were starting to improve. However, many also said senior leaders weren’t always visible or approachable, and they didn’t always feel confident that concerns would be listened to or acted upon.
“We continued to hear about some poor experiences of workplace culture, including issues around discrimination and feeling unable to speak up. Trust leaders were aware of this and were taking action in response.”