Demelza, Hospice Care for Children - SE London

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We assessed 1 quality statement in the Effective key question and found areas of good practice. The scores for these areas have been combined with scores based on the rating from the last inspection, which was good. The assessment of these areas showed good practice since the last inspection, and our rating for effective remains good. Staff received proper training and support for their work. Demelza SEL established positive working relationships with other healthcare specialists. They shared information to ensure all professionals understand the requirements of children and young people. Children and young people received enough to eat and drink to meet their needs. The chef created meals, where possible, to fulfil children's nutritional, cultural, and faith requirements. The facilities catered to the specific requirements of young people. Staff followed policies and procedures to comply with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

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.

We did not look at Assessing needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at Delivering evidence-based care and treatment during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at How staff, teams and services work together during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at Supporting people to live healthier lives during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

The provider checked staff suitability for work by requesting references and reviewing potential staff qualifications. They also arranged a check of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) records, which included verifying whether the person had a criminal record. New staff had to complete a probationary period and competency training. The management team managed staffing levels according to patient acuity and staff competencies/skill mix. The service monitored mandatory training completion rates. Training completion rates met the providers' benchmarking standards. Staff at all levels had completed appropriate safeguarding training for their role. Staff knew how to identify children and young people at risk of or suffering significant harm and worked with other agencies to protect them. Over 95% of all staff had received an appraisal within 13 months before our assessment. A staff wellbeing survey conducted annually ensured the trustees and managers addressed any areas that needed improvement.

Staff informed us that they monitored patient outcomes through audits and patient feedback..

The provider developed an outcomes framework in 2017 to identify key outcomes delivered by Demelza. Staff designed the framework to review beneficiary groups, activities, outcomes, and impact. We viewed the Demelza outcomes report from 8 February 2023. The report highlighted positive outcome metrics, including increased physical and emotional wellbeing for provider locations, including Demelza SEL. The provider stated that for creative therapy services, staff completed an initial consultation establishing the aims of the therapy, and the therapist wrote an ending report. Only administrators and the counselling team members could view confidential counselling notes or therapy sessions.

We did not look at Consent to care and treatment during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.