Archived: Preston Skreens Children's Respite Unit

We were unable to observe any of the children being cared for, as those currently receiving respite care had gone to school for the day. Most children had non-verbal communication and we would not have been able to engage them in conversation. We obtained people's views by reading recent feedback obtained from children and their parents/guardians.

We looked at consent procedures made on behalf of the children, and found there were robust systems in place to consent to care and treatment.

We found that people spoke highly of the unit, and had no doubt that the children were well cared for and enjoyed their respite visits.

We saw that there was good management for maintaining children's specific dietary needs while receiving respite care.

The unit was visibly clean in all areas, and there were reliable procedures in place to maintain good standards of infection control.

We found that staff mandatory training was kept up to date, and staff were enabled to update their own skills and competencies.

People were invited to share their views, and to voice any concerns at any time. They were confident that their views would be listened to and taken into account. Feedback was very positive, and included comments such as 'The staff are all fantastic, kind, fun, understanding and lovely.'

The unit provided breaks from Mondays to Fridays, or from Fridays to Mondays. During weekdays, the staff prepared children to go to school, and ensured transport was available to take them to school and return them to the unit afterwards.

We briefly met and observed the care of one of the children who was admitted for respite care during our visit. We talked with his mother who said 'I do not know what I would do without this service. The staff are fantastic. I really need the breaks, and this is so helpful.'

We obtained other people's viewpoints by looking at questionnaire responses from the last year. These showed that people thought very positively about the service, and made comments such as: 'The staff are excellent'; 'My son looks forward to his visits'; and 'The staff give them a really good time.'

One of the children had sent an early Christmas card which said 'Thank you for making my time special when I come to stay.'