Updated 29 January 2024
Date of assessment: 19 February to 9 April 2024. Demelza, Hospice Care for Children - SE London (known as Demelza SEL) provides comprehensive services for children and young people from birth to 18 years old with life-limiting conditions and their families. They provided short residential breaks for children for respite care and end-of-life care. Additional services provided support for the families of the children. Each child is allocated a nurse or healthcare assistant for their stay who would set up a comprehensive care plan. Each child has their own room with either a bed or cot as required. The rooms have an attached bathroom, a call bell, and cameras for child safety. Families can stay, if they wish, on the first floor, although a bed can be put in the child's room if needed. The provider ensured children and young people were safe. Staff were able to explain how they would identify and respond to child abuse. They handle medicines effectively and ensure that all staff recruited are qualified to care for children. The building is safe and well-maintained, providing a secure environment for the children. Staff received training on the principles of the Mental Capacity Act of 2005 (MCA). Staff respected people's rights and made choices in the best interests of children and young people. Demelza SEL has effective management arrangements to monitor and maintain the service's ongoing quality. The provider stays current on paediatric palliative care developments, ensuring the service is always at the forefront of best practices. We assessed 5 quality statements from the key questions and found good and outstanding practice. The scores for these areas have been combined with scores based on the key question ratings from the last inspection. The assessment indicated areas of outstanding practice like the last inspection, but our overall rating remains good.