Julia's House, Broadstone, is one of the first services to be rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission has rated the quality of care provided by Julia's House, a hospice based in Broadstone, Dorset, as Outstanding.

Julia’s House which provides support and respite services for children and young people at the hospice,  is one of the first to receive the top rating under CQC’s new approach to the inspection of care services.

During an inspection in August, inspectors found that children and young people using the service were receiving care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led, from staff who were compassionate and delivered individualised care with dignity and respect.

Inspectors noted how staff interacted with the children and young people, and their families, supporting them with care and compassion. One parent told inspectors “They do so much with him and so much more than we ever imagined he was able to do. They champion him, it’s amazing”.

Inspectors observed that if children were acutely unwell, members of staff worked with the children, staying with them and gently talking with them, the children were attended to and received comfort from staff at all times.

Julia’s House Limited also provided an out-of-hours system so that families could quickly access advice and support when they needed it.

One example of how staff focus on supporting people is their response when young people transfer to adult services. A lead nurse responsible for transition has been identified to work with a local adult day hospice to trial day sessions for young people.

Young people would be supported by Julia’s House staff at that service as a way of introducing them to adult services. The attention to their transition is so important and this is an example of how it is considered and well managed.

A full report has been published today.

Martin Edwards, Chief Executive of Julia’s House children’s hospice, said:

"At Julia’s House we put considerable thought into how to make the most of each day for each child, taking into account all their likes and dislikes. We listen, we adjust our service wherever it can be improved, and we involve the children’s parents in oversight of our clinical practices. And we expect and support our staff to live and breathe our values of compassion in care, because we want to make the world a better place for each child and family that needs us."

Jo Johnson, CQC Inspector, said:

"It was apparent as soon as we met children, young people and their families arriving for the day at Julia’s House that it was a very happy place with a relaxed atmosphere. There were lots of smiles and laughter from the children and young people we met both at Julia’s house and in their own homes. The staff were very passionate about the working with the children, young people and their families. They focused on supporting the children and young people to try new experiences and achieving things that some parents didn’t think their child would be able to do. Myself and the specialist advisor were struck by the importance of supporting the whole family including the siblings of the children and young people."