Statement in response to CQC Inspection Report of Inpatient CAMHS Units | News and Events

Statement in response to CQC Inspection Report of Inpatient CAMHS Units

Headshot of CEO Neil Thwaite Neil Thwaite, Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We welcome the detailed report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following their unannounced inspection of two of our Child and Adolescent Mental Health units on 17, 18 and 24 January 2022.

“We are proud to see that, for the first time, we have been rated as ‘Outstanding’ for Caring;  and ‘Good’ in the other areas of Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-Led for our Child and Adolescent Mental Health wards. This is a great achievement and a huge testament to the efforts of our dedicated staff.  We know they work tirelessly for the children and young people in their care and that, despite the additional challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing demand, our staff have continued to provide the highest levels of commitment and care. To see this spelt out so clearly in the report, including in the words of service users themselves, is both humbling and moving.

“We are also delighted that the CQC specifically praised the Cyber Zone. Staff co-produced this innovation with service users to allow safe internet access for young people in the Gardner Unit. The CQC described this as ‘outstanding practice’. They also commended the involvement of children and young people in research for the development of apps to further improve mental health services.

“As pleased as we are with this report, there is always room for improvement. We recognise the continued responsibility of improving outcomes for children and young people in our wards, and we will continue to strive to deliver the best care, every day.  My thanks go to our fantastic staff whose dedication, professionalism and commitment have rightly been recognised in this CQC inspection.”

 

Highlights of the report are shown below.

 

CQC Logo Children and young people told the CQC:

  • “Never in my life have I met people who cared so much for me.”
  • “Staff would not give up on me, even when I had given up on myself”
  • “They genuinely care.”

Under ‘Safe’, the CQC found:

  • “The service had enough nursing and medical staff, who knew the children and young people and received basic training to keep people safe from avoidable harm.”
  • “Staff assessed and managed risks to children, young people and themselves well, and followed best practice in anticipating, de-escalating and managing challenging behaviour.”

Under ‘Effective’, the CQC found:

  • “Care plans reflected children and young people’s assessed needs, and were personalised, holistic, and recovery oriented.”
  • “The ward teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of children and young people on the wards.  Managers made sure they had staff with the range of skills needed to provide high quality care.”

Under ‘Caring’, the CQC found:

  • “Staff treated children and young people with compassion and kindness.  They respected children and young people’s privacy and dignity.  They understood the needs of children and young people and supported them to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition.”
  • “Staff involved children, young people and their families in care planning and risk assessment, and actively sought their feedback on the quality of care provided.”

Under ‘Responsive’, the CQC found:

  • “A bed was available when needed…They liaised well with services that would provide aftercare and were assertive in managing the discharge care pathway.  As a result, children and young people did not have excessive lengths of stay and discharge was rarely delayed for other than a clinical reason.”
  • “Staff supported children and young people with activities outside the service and made sure children and young people had access to high quality education throughout their time on the ward.”

Under ‘Well-Led’, the CQC found:

  • “Leaders had the skills, knowledge and experience to perform their roles.  They had an excellent understanding of the services they managed and were visible in the service, and approachable for children, young people, families and staff.”
  • “Staff felt respected, supported and valued.  They said the Trust promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for development and career progression.  They could raise concerns without fear.”

 

CAMHS staff members outside the unit

 

The full report will be available on the CQC website from 9am: Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (cqc.org.uk)

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