Kirkwood Hospice

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity, and respect. At our last inspection we rated this key question outstanding. At this inspection, the rating has remained outstanding confirming that people were respected, valued, and empowered as partners in the service.

Feedback from people who used the service, their families, and stakeholders was consistently positive, praising staff for delivering outstanding care, and exceeding expectations. We read a sample of thank you cards which had been received. We saw that relatives were extremely complimentary about the care and compassion staff had shown. Staff addressed personal, cultural, social, and religious needs innovatively, treating people as individuals and ensuring care met their preferences. Family involvement was encouraged, and staff wellbeing was prioritised to support person-centred care. Emotional and social needs were valued equally to physical needs, ensuring holistic support. We saw that people looked comfortable and well cared for.

This service scored 95 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Kirkwood Hospice demonstrated exceptional commitment to treating people using the service with kindness, compassion, and respect for their privacy and dignity. People consistently praised staff as exceptional, kind, and caring, reflecting a deeply rooted culture of person-centred care. Staff were highly knowledgeable and attentive, with enough staff to provide high-quality safe care. One person told us, "It’s as if the staff know what I need before I do! They have given me a reason to carry on." Another said, "They always went above and beyond, truly caring."

Feedback, gathered through surveys and feedback cards, was overwhelmingly positive, emphasising the staffs compassionate approach. One person commented, "Such compassion and care, with attention to every detail. The food was very enjoyable, and the professional care, both medical and nursing, was of the highest quality." Another said, "To the amazing Kirkwood team, we cannot thank you enough. The care was outstanding, and you should be proud of your supportive team." Staff demonstrated discretion and responsiveness, answering call bells promptly and were observed interacting respectfully with people.

Surveys conducted in the last 12 months, showed extremely high satisfaction, with 100% of respondents willing to recommend the service. Positive feedback was shared with staff, and action plans addressed areas for improvement, ensuring continuous care enhancement.

Staff showed a deep understanding of the emotional and social impacts of peoples’ conditions, prioritising this alongside physical care. Psychology and bereavement support received positive feedback, with individuals feeling safe and reassured. One person told us, "I thought it was a going to be a sad place, full of despair, but it’s the opposite and they helped me live the best I can." Another said, "Your words, models, and listening helped my whole family through this tough time."

Staff supported celebrations of significant events like birthdays, Christmas, and Ramadan, creating joy and connection. The holistic approach was evident, with staff and volunteers delivering excellent care, creating an environment where compassion and dignity were paramount.

The service adopted a comprehensive approach to care, addressing the needs of people, family, carers, community networks and partners. Staff told us, “For most, supporting end-of-life care is their first experience.” Care plans documented personal, cultural, social, and religious needs, reflecting individualised care. Assessments and reviews accommodated communication preferences. During a handover, staff discussed social histories, referring to people by name, demonstrating respect. A nurse concluded, “That’s your family for day shift,” emphasising unity and connection. Another staff member added, “They’re not just our patients; they’re our extended family.”

Kirkwood Hospice addressed cultural and spiritual needs, with examples of staff meeting families to understand expectations, creating links with local religious leaders through face-to-face engagement and telephone calls to ensure wishes and traditions were upheld. The spiritual care team supported all faiths, collaborating with faith networks for tailored religious support. Staff facilitated rapid death registration and funeral procedures to align with religious norms, ensuring customs were communicated during shift handovers to maintain dignity.

To address lower uptake among ethnic minority groups, the service provided leaflets in community languages, interpreters, signers, and online translation services. Staff demonstrated expertise in supporting people with learning disabilities, and dementia, using appropriate tools. The Admiral Nurse and team partnered with local charities and care homes to enhance dementia support.

Family mealtimes were encouraged to create a sense of normality and meaningful interaction. An example included the chef organising a date night, complete with flowers and a favourite meal, tailored to create a memorable and personalised experience.

The chef expressed a commitment to redefining hospice dining, stating an ambition to “challenge the status quo of hospice food” by creating exciting, individualised meals that sparked interest and enjoyment. Catering staff demonstrated a flexible, person-centred approach, tailoring meals to individual preferences and cultural needs.

Kirkwood Hospice created a welcoming environment, offering refreshments and a relatives’ kitchen. The focus on individualised care, underpinned by respect and compassion, consistently exceeded peoples’ expectations.

Kirkwood Hospice demonstrated commitment to supporting patients in maintaining meaningful relationships and promoting independence.

Choice and control were promoted; people were empowered to maintain autonomy over their treatment and daily routines and expressed confidence in their ability to exercise choice and control over their care. One person told us, "If I don’t want something, then I won’t have it. I’ve always been very independent and determined. Staff respect my choices, and I really appreciate that." Another said, "I’ve felt a sense of recovery, even though I know there’s no magic pill to cure me; this is my journey, and it’s going the way I want and enabling me to live every moment. A week here and I feel safe, pain-free, confident, content, and happy."

Lounges could be transformed into residential spaces to accommodate larger families, promoting connection and togetherness. People were actively encouraged to have pets visit enhancing emotional wellbeing and comfort.

Staff employed innovative approaches to enable patients to manage their own health and care, maximising independence wherever possible. Catering staff told us they had sourced a specialised plate, allowing the person using the service to enjoy hot meals independently. They told us, "It means I can have warm food again; it’s the little things that mean the most and make the biggest difference." 

Through a partnership with the local hospital, Kirkwood Hospice delivered community wellbeing sessions, including one-to-one support, creative activities, singing, tai chi, and gardening. This collaboration enhanced equity of access to specialist palliative care across Kirklees, ensuring diverse and inclusive support.

A community service provided by Kirkwood Hospice was delivered, enabling people to receive care at home, tailored to their preferences. This service operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing a combination of planned and responsive visits.

Staff reported good links with care homes and district nurses, receiving referrals from the community to deliver continuous care for people. This partnership ensured that care was well-coordinated, supporting peoples wishes to remain in their preferred environment.

Feedback was consistently positive, "Thank you for your support and guidance; with your help, we were able to keep him at home, just where he wanted to be."

Throughout the inspection, staff demonstrated prompt responsiveness to peoples’ needs, addressing requests without delay. Observations confirmed that staff were attentive and supportive, providing assistance, information, and reassurance when approached. In one instance, staff were seen offering compassionate comfort to someone feeling overwhelmed, ensuring emotional support was also readily available.

The service showed commitment to nurturing a supportive and inclusive environment for staff, ensuring their wellbeing was prioritised. Staff consistently reported feeling valued and empowered to contribute to service improvements.

Staff had regular opportunities to provide feedback and raise concerns through various channels, including drop-in sessions, trustee walkarounds, and a dedicated email inbox. Staff shared positive experiences of proposing ideas for service enhancement, with leadership actively supporting the implementation of these suggestions. Staff felt as equally valued as those using the service.

We saw evidence that emotional support was integrated into staff development reviews, ensuring holistic care for employees. Kirkwood Hospice offered a comprehensive employee assistance programme. Staff had access to in-house psychology team support, emotional support hub drop-in sessions, and a confidential care service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Mental health first aiders were also on-site.

Staff received regular supervision, clinical incident reviews, and debriefs following challenging events, promoting a reflective and supportive work environment. Staff reported manageable workloads and described an understanding and collaborative team culture.

Leaders actively promoted staff wellbeing through initiatives such as the ‘Time to Shine’ programme and a ‘Boast Box’ for recognising exceptional contributions. These efforts reinforced a culture of appreciation and motivation. Reasonable adjustments were made to support staff in balancing work and social activities, promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Community staff adhered to a lone working policy, with regular team check-ins and risk assessments completed before home visits, ensuring their safety and welfare when delivering care.

Staff views on working at Kirkwood Hospice were overwhelmingly positive. One staff member described it as their dream job and told us, "I feel so lucky to be a part of the team, management genuinely care about us.’