The Care Quality Commission has rated the quality of care provided by Julia's House, a hospice based in Broadstone, Dorset, as Outstanding.
Julia’s House which provides support and respite services for children and young people at the hospice, is one of the first to receive the top rating under CQC’s new approach to the inspection of care services.
During an inspection in August, inspectors found that children and young people using the service were receiving care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led, from staff who were compassionate and delivered individualised care with dignity and respect.
Inspectors noted how staff interacted with the children and young people, and their families, supporting them with care and compassion. One parent told inspectors “They do so much with him and so much more than we ever imagined he was able to do. They champion him, it’s amazing”.
Inspectors observed that if children were acutely unwell, members of staff worked with the children, staying with them and gently talking with them, the children were attended to and received comfort from staff at all times.
Julia’s House Limited also provided an out-of-hours system so that families could quickly access advice and support when they needed it.
One example of how staff focus on supporting people is their response when young people transfer to adult services. A lead nurse responsible for transition has been identified to work with a local adult day hospice to trial day sessions for young people.
Young people would be supported by Julia’s House staff at that service as a way of introducing them to adult services. The attention to their transition is so important and this is an example of how it is considered and well managed.
A full report has been published today.
Adrian Hughes, Deputy Chief Inspector responsible for the regulation of services in the south, said:
“We found that Julia's House was providing an outstanding service to the children and young people it supported and to their families, and the team there should be extremely proud of the work they do.
“We know how rewarding it is to work in such a service, and we were struck by the extent to which the hospice places the children and young people at the heart of everything it does. More than anything else, the way in which the staff team are led to think of each person as a unique individual and respond accordingly, is why this hospice has received the highest rating we can give.
“The support provided was designed not just to meet the child’s needs, but also to support parents. As an example - the member of staff we saw working with a child, staying at their side and giving them a hand massage to offer comfort, demonstrated a high level of compassionate care.
Andrea Sutcliffe, CQC’s Chief Inspector, said:
“The quality of care which our inspectors found here was exceptional and I am very pleased that we can celebrate the achievements of this hospice.
“An outstanding service is the result of a tremendous amount of hard work and commitment. I would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved.”
Ends
For media enquiries, contact John Scott, Regional Engagement Officer 07789 875809, or call the CQC press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours or out of hours on 07789 876508. For general enquiries, call 03000 61 61 61.
Find out more
Read reports from our checks on the standards at Julia's House.
We found that Julia's House was providing an outstanding service to the children and young people it supported and to their families, and the team there should be extremely proud of the work they do.
Adrian Hughes, responsible for the regulation of services in the south