Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

During this assessment we rated this key question as good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Young people felt involved in their care and said staff were understanding and supported them to make specific decisions for themselves. Staff involved carers or advocates when young people had given their consent to do so. Staff offered young people copies of their care plans. Carers were invited to relevant meetings and events within the hospital setting.

Staff worked in partnership with young people, carers and advocates which enabled them to respond to any relevant changes in the needs of young people and effectively manage risk due to robust care planning. The hospital had a multidisciplinary team to meet young people’ needs. Staff used outcome measures to determine initial severity and outcomes of care and treatment.

Staff supported carers to gather views by providing them with questionnaires they had developed. Staff also enabled carers to provide feedback during ward rounds.

There were quiet areas on the wards where young people could have privacy. We observed good rapport between young people and staff.

We looked at 9 care plans and saw young people’s opinions and choices about their care were recorded.

Staff we spoke with gave examples of young people transferring to another service, for example, adult services. Peer meetings were held with other services prior to discharge to ensure a quality handover and transfer of information.

One young person we spoke with said staff supported them to access social activities away from the hospital.

Staff told us that discharge planning was often affected by external factors such as funding and lack of appropriate placements.

Staff provided young people with information and offered them a copy of their care plans. Young people had access to advocates and had been given information on their legal status, rights and medication.

Staff tailored information and advice provided to meet young people’ needs. For example, staff could provide written or visual feedback could provide a range of information and in a range of formats if required. The service involved carers, advocates and interpreters where necessary.

The provider had processes in place to provide appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information. Weekly community meetings/Your Voice were in place to allow staff to share information with young people and provide updates on ideas young people had raised to improve the service.

Young people and their carers were encouraged to be involved in the development of their care and treatment and had access to independent advocacy.

Young people were involved in weekly Your Voice meetings to enable any issues to be discussed openly. We observed that staff were visible and available for young people to speak with when they needed support or advice. There were posters on young person noticeboards which informed young people how to raise a concern or make a complaint.

Young people had a range of ways in which they could give feedback such as Your Voice meetings, multi-disciplinary meetings, young person surveys and complaints process.

Young people were encouraged to be involved in the development of their care and treatment. Carers told us they felt involved in decisions about their loved one’s care and staff listened to them.

Young people had access to a range of professionals including a dietician, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist, art therapist, carers therapist, and speech and language therapy, as well as independent advocacy.

Staff supported young people to meet their specific religious and cultural needs.

Specific equipment was available for young people with accessibility needs.

Documentation could be provided in a variety of formats such as easy read staff arranges for interpreters to support young people or carers when required.

Young people felt they were treated fairly and equally and the carers confirmed that they were actively involved with planning care for their relatives, if they had given their consent for them to do so. No concerns were raised regarding discrimination and staff made every effort to ensure reasonable adjustments were in place to support equity in experience and outcomes.

Young people had access to advocacy to meet the needs of people detained or those who lacked capacity. The advocates we spoke with confirmed they had a good relationship with staff on Emerald Lodge and Ruby Lodge. However, advocates on Sapphire Lodge felt that there was a hostile and dismissive attitude from staff and management towards them and staff had voiced negative views of advocacy to young people on the ward.

The staff we spoke with were alert to inequality and gave examples of how they would link with local support and social groups to support a young person’s cultural and religious beliefs and diversity.

Young people had access to a range of professionals to support their care and treatment.

The trust had different ways for young people, carers and advocates to provide feedback and tailored care, support, and treatment in response to this feedback where possible. The service provided different communication aids to enhance the quality of life and independence of people.

Leaders dealt with young person-on-young person discrimination and monitored and analysed incidents and discussed them in regular meetings.

Young people attended meetings with staff where they could contribute to decisions regarding their future care provision and discharge plans. Carers were informed and involved in the options for their loved one’s care and progress.

Staff told us processes were in place to ensure all relevant parties were involved in planning and preparing for discharges. This included social care, community teams, future placements, and carers members if the young person consented to this. Young people were involved in discharge planning to ensure their choices and preferences were always accounted for.

Care plans were recovery focused, referred to discharge planning and multi-disciplinary meetings and documented actions for discharge. They referred to therapeutic practice, goal setting and focussed on independence.