Children’s Hospices Across Scotland’s dedicated CHAS at Home service has been praised for its high quality of care and support in a glowing inspection report by the Care Inspectorate. In all categories reviewed, the national regulator awarded CHAS at Home a ‘very good’ evaluation, one of the highest ratings in the inspection ratings scheme.
CHAS at Home is a specialist service that provides care for children and young people in their own homes across Scotland. It is delivered by local teams made up of nurses and senior support workers based in four settings; Rachel House hospice in Kinross, Robin House hospice in Balloch and office premises in Inverness and Aberdeen.
Staff members offer nursing care as well as emotional and practical support and can also help provide end of life care at home.
Key highlights from the inspection report include recognition of:
- high quality of care and support underpinned by strong relationships, robust care planning, and strong quality assurance systems.
- a service model which is highly tailored and highly flexible provided to children, young people, and their families
- support of a highly skilled, compassionate and competent workforce who worked well together with young people and their families.
Inspectors heard directly from families how much they valued the support from CHAS and the relationships they and their children developed with staff members.
One parent said: “When I told my son he was seeing the CHAS ladies, he just lit up.”
Another parent said: “They are all different, with different personalities, but they are all amazing.”
CHAS CEO, Rami Okasha said: “We welcome the feedback from this inspection and the ‘very good’ ratings achieved in all areas of the report.
“Each week in Scotland three children die from an incurable condition. Having the CHAS at Home service means that we can continue to reach families all over Scotland who may not be able to attend our children’s hospices.
“CHAS provides unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys. Our ambition is that we reach every child in Scotland who needs our support and CHAS at Home is a key part of achieving that ambition.”
The full report can be viewed here: https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/site-search
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About CHAS:
- Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) provides unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys.
- We provide support in the early days after a child is diagnosed with a life-shorting condition. Having a very ill child means a family’s life changes enormously, and we are there to help every family member emotionally, clinically, and practically.
- We provide integrated palliative and end of life care as well as respite care for the whole family in our two hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.
- Our outreach team operates in every local authority area – providing highly skilled nursing care for children in their own homes (often in partnership with local teams), as well as a full family support service. This includes social work, income maximisation, energy advice, spiritual and bereavement support, transition to adult services for 16 – 21s, and therapeutic play.
- There is a joint CHAS/ NHS specialist team in every children’s hospital in Scotland. The only specialist Paediatric Palliative Medicine posts in Scotland are funded by CHAS. Our Diana Children’s Nurses provide specialist support alongside the NHS in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
- We are there at the end of life, supporting children to die with dignity, in accordance with their and their parents’ wishes and we also help in the difficult days after a child dies and can offer bereavement support in the years ahead.
- The wonderful letters which form our logo are created by the children and families that use our services.
- Follow CHAS on Twitter and Instagram: @supportCHAS, or like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportCHAS
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