Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice delivers outstanding care

For the five key questions considered as part of every inspection, the Huddersfield based charity was awarded four ratings of outstanding and one rating of good – which currently puts them in the top 2% of health and social care providers who have recently been inspected.

During an unannounced inspection in August 2014, CQC inspectors spoke to the families, care staff and professionals external to the organisation. They also observed care and support activities both in Russell House and out in the community, toured the premises, checked records, policies and procedures in order to make their assessment.

Inspectors said that hospice staff were highly dedicated and passionate about their roles in caring for children and they placed children at the very heart of their work. Adding: “‘It was highly evident from our observations that all staff at the hospice treated all children and their families with the utmost dignity, respect, kindness and compassion. In addition we saw that they treated each other in the same way.”

The inspectors also reported that “the ethos of the hospice encompassed family centred care where the child, young person and their family were at the centre of everything that took place. We saw this extremely evident throughout our inspection.”

The inspectors noted how every child had their own ‘play passport’, showing their personal play preferences, that staff were personally matched with individual families depending upon the need and skills required and that the chief executive demonstrated clear goals for the development of the service, with emphasis on ensuring quality experiences for children and their families.

Peter Branson, chief executive of the hospice, said: “The families we care for deserve the very best and we are thrilled that the dedication and commitment of our care team has been recognised in this way by the CQC. We will carry on doing everything we can to reach out to more children who need our support so they too can feel the benefit of outstanding care.”

This aritcle first appeared on the UK edition of ehospice.