St Richard's Hospital

On this page

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

We looked for evidence that people were always treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We checked that people’s privacy and dignity was respected, that they understood that they and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care. We assessed all quality statements in this key question.

Children and young people were always treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We checked that their privacy and dignity was respected, that they understood that they and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them. We heard about some exceptional ways in which children and young people were involved to participate in their care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff treated people with kindness. Young people felt staff listened to them and communicated with them in a way they could understand. We saw staff of all grades sensitively and comprehensively explaining to children, young people and their families the plan of care. Children and young people said they had their privacy and dignity respected. When staff assisted children with personal hygiene needs, they drew the curtains around the bed space or provide for privacy. We observed staff interact with children and young people with kindness and compassion. For example, we observed a nurse treating a child who was distressed in a calm, kind and supportive manner.

There was a culture of kindness and respect between colleagues. Staff collaborated with other experienced colleagues to provide support for young people with mental ill health and provided support with emotional wellbeing. Patient and family feedback was very positive.

There was mostly positive feedback from parents. National patient survey data reflected children, and young people were treated with kindness and that staff did everything they could to help them manage their pain. Parents and carers commented positively on the staff taking time to listen to their worries and staff playing with their children. Staff we spoke with understood the issues around ensuring that the conversation was age appropriate and took time to explain to children their treatment.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Children and young people’s individual needs and preferences were understood, and these were reflected in their care, treatment and support. We saw that children, who were able to, participate in care planning were involved in this activity. Young people were asked about their preferences, likes and dislikes and these were recorded. Staff shared information effectively to ensure that children, young people and their families shared information only once.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to meet children, young people’s and families personal, cultural, social and religious needs. They told us how they adapted care to meet these individual needs. For example we saw a care plan that had been adapted to take into account the needs of a patient who could not use words to communicate. Staff treated children and young people as individuals, considering any relevant protected equality characteristics. Parents and carers were able to bring in items to ensure that children felt comfortable within the ward environment. This included bedding, toys and electronic equipment. We spoke with a healthcare assistant in the outpatient’s department who had a good understanding of the needs of neurodiverse children. They identified there were no resources for neurodiverse children in the department’s waiting room and requested help from the play therapist to provide a special box of items to help neurodiverse children with the experience of being in a waiting room.

Children’s communication needs are met to enable them to engage in their care, treatment and support to maximise their experience and outcomes. The youth worker had redeveloped the sitting room for young people in the ward. They had considered the wishes of young people. When young people had been admitted without personal items, the youth worker had access to charity funds to purchase items such as toiletries, clothes or sim cards. This allowed young people to feel valued and treated as an individual rather than a patient in a hospital ward.

The service was good at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Children and young people were supported to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions, and where appropriate about their care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff involved children, young people and their families or carers in the planning of their care. This considered their personal preferences. Parents and carers were supported to participate in care where appropriate. The ward had a parent only lounge in which parents and carers could have some time away from the care environment when necessary. Within this complex there was the facility to make a hot drink, eat and to shower and change.

Children, young people and families were supported to understand their rights by using different ways to communicate. Their understanding was reviewed throughout their care and treatment. Staff had access to interpreters to support conversations. Where children had complex needs staff fully involved parents and carers and assessed the child’s level of independence before providing care.

Children young people and families were supported to maintain relationships and networks that were important to them. Visiting hours were fairly relaxed to support parents and carers, family and promote the wellbeing of children and young people. Visiting was not restricted to next of kin so that those people who were important to children and young people could visit. Arrangements could be made if large families visited as the ward occupancy allowed.

Children, young people and families had access to activities and the local community to promote and support their independence, health and wellbeing. There was effective working across specialisms to promote activities for children with long term conditions. As above we heard that the diabetic multidisciplinary team and the youth support worker were preparing for a weekend residential stay for children with diabetes to encourage activity and learn how to manage their condition in this environment. There was a range of appropriate equipment to support and maximise children’s independence and outcomes from care and treatment. The youth room included a table football and other age-appropriate activities.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. They responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. We saw this in practice and corroborated this via the national children and young people’s survey, where the trust scored highly for taking action to minimise distress and discomfort.

The ward had sufficient beds for the numbers of children and young people seen each year. Leaders were able to flex the ward to meet the needs of the individual child or young person. The addition of the children’s assessment unit meant that children were seen and treated in a timely manner. As this was collocated with the ward, any child that needed admission following deterioration was easily transferred to the ward area. Similarly, if a child deteriorated the children’s assessment unit was near the stabilisation room so that effective further treatment could be delivered in a timely way.

Whilst the children’s ward accepted young people up to the age of 18 years old, 17-year-olds who were to be admitted were offered a choice of care provided on the children’s ward or an adult ward. There was a separate area for teenagers which could be effectively sealed off from the rest of the unit should a young person with mental ill health become disruptive.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. The leaders actively supported staff in making improvements where they felt able. For example, a healthcare assistant identified a need, which led to the introduction of a toy box for neurodivergent children and young people in the outpatient’s department.

Staff told us that they were valued by leaders. Staff told us they felt listened to by leaders and were able to escalate concerns to managers and directly to leaders. Leaders told us staff wellbeing was important to them. Many staff members told us they had worked at the hospital for several years due to the work culture. Several staff members referred to the staff as “a family.”

Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks and rest areas. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. Staff had access to a wide range of health and wellbeing support covering mental, physical, financial, social, and cultural needs. Mental health services include counselling, self-help resources, and manager training on supporting staff wellbeing. Physical wellbeing was supported through occupational health, physiotherapy, musculoskeletal hubs, menopause and smoking cessation programmes, infant feeding facilities, vaccinations, and fitness opportunities. Financial wellbeing is addressed through a crisis support fund, financial wellbeing and pensions support officer site visits, online discounts, salary sacrifice schemes, and other money management guidance.

Staff also had access to a What’s on wellbeing roadshow at which the health and wellbeing team attended site to talk to staff. There were staff clubs such as running clubs, a crochet club, and a monthly wellness stand by FitJoy.

The service supported staff induction and continued professional development. Training days were organised multiple times a year in focused relevant areas. Staff told us they were provided cover to attend the training.