Latest news with #AlanStephenson
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Rotherham Hospice rated outstanding by CQC
Rotherham Hospice has been rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).The hospice, run by local charity The Rotherham Hospice Trust, provides end-of-life care to adults aged 18 and over with terminal illnesses and support to their families, at no an inspection in December, its overall rating has improved from good to Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "All the staff at Rotherham Hospice should be very proud of the care they're now delivering for people using the service and their local community." 'Positive outcomes' Inspectors found that local census data was used by the hospice to tailor care to patients from different communities, including those from vulnerable backgrounds, and provided a range of support - including psychological, physical, social, and even spiritual support."It was impressive to see the lengths they went to, to ensure care was personalised at a really difficult time in people's lives," said Mr Stephenson."It was clear that staff took a genuine interest in people's wellbeing, which resulted in both positive outcomes and feedback."The report said patients were included in discussions about their own care when assessing and reviewing risks, so everybody understood what was involved, and care plans were agreed for the last days of their also noted that a kennel service had been introduced, which helped reduce delays when admitting people with pets into the service.A former issue was flagged that some people did not know how to access the service, but a community outreach manager had since been employed to mediate this, it around appropriate levels of safeguarding training had also been addressed. 'Ambitious plans' Rotherham Hospice CEO Mat Cottle-Shaw said: "It's incredible - or outstanding, should I say - for all our staff, volunteers, and supporters."He said he was "struck by how passionate everybody was" and the effort that had been made to reach the top rating by the hospice had "very ambitious plans to grow" across Rotherham, he added, but patients and their families were "at the centre" of all the decisions that were made."The end of your life should be just as important as the beginning of it," he said. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
06-08-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Hull care home rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission
A care home in Hull has been urged to take action after being rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Inspectors found staff at Rose Villa Nursing Home did not always administer or manage medicines safely and leaders failed to ensure the environment was Stephenson, CQC's deputy director of operations in the north, said it was "extremely disappointing" to see how "ineffective leadership" led to "poor care".Directors of the care home said they were "profoundly sorry" and they "fully acknowledge the need for improvement in some areas". The CQC said it placed the nursing home into special measures - which involves close monitoring while improvements are made - to "protect people".The home, run by Rose Villa Care Home Limited, provides personal care to people who are living with dementia and physical disability conditions. 'Rapid improvements' The inspection in May found managers did not support staff and failed to make sure they learned from previous incidents where people could have been at regulator said staff failed to make sure residents' care plans were accurate and there was a lack of continuity of care when people moved between services. The CQC rated the safe and well-led categories as inadequate, while the caring, effective and responsive categories were rated as requires Stephenson said: "We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid and continued improvements."We will return to check on their progress and won't hesitate to use our regulatory powers further if people aren't receiving the care they have a right to expect."A spokesperson for the home said the failings were a result of "managerial absence due to illness" along with the "effects of the well-recognised wider challenges faced by the care sector".They added: "Working with an external consultant, we have already introduced new systems, and we are making good progress in embedding these across our service."Our team of managers will continue to seek and act on the views of service users, families, advocates and staff in driving forward our improvement plan." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Rotherham supported living service rated outstanding by watchdog
A supported living service for adults with a range of needs has been rated as "outstanding" by a a report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), inspectors said the Rotherham Regional Office, which is run by Eden Supported Living Limited, was "extremely well managed" and should act as an example for similar organisation, which was previously rated "good", supports autistic people, people with learning or physical disabilities, people with sensory impairment or mental health needs, to live as independently as Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "All staff should be extremely proud of the care they're providing to people." The inspection, carried out in February, was in part prompted by concerns raised over an increase in medicines inspectors said they found no evidence that people were at risk of harm and concluded medicines were managed safely and leaders ensured everyone had a detailed care plan in report said the service was well staffed and ensured people had access to information in different formats and found Rotherham Regional Office put people "at the heart of their care" and said "passionate" staff helped people thrive and develop new skills."We heard about staff helping someone to gain employment, another person was being encouraged to take on voluntary roles to prepare them for the world of work and make them feel valued," Mr Stephenson said."All staff should be extremely proud of the care they're providing to people. "They clearly work hard to provide exceptional care, and other services should look at this report to see if there's anything they can learn." 'Valued and safe' CEO of Eden Futures, Helen Stokes, said the team was "extremely proud" of the latest CQC rating, describing it as "a testament to the dedication, strong values and hard work of our entire team".She said the CQC ratings were not just about meeting regulatory requirements but also about "striving for a standard of care that ensures those we support feel valued and safe"."For families seeking a social care provider they can trust, this achievement confirms Eden Futures as a leader in providing person-centred support that helps people live independently and thrive in their own homes." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Barnsley care home rated 'outstanding' after first inspection
A care home in South Yorkshire has been rated as "outstanding" after its first inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Sid Bailey Care Home, run by Danforth Care Brampton Limited, provides accommodation and care to older people in Barnsley, including those with received top ratings for being well-led and caring by the watchdog, and was rated as "good" in its abilities to be effective, responsive, and Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said: "It's clear the home was committed to treating people as individuals and empowering them to achieve their goals and lead fulfilling lives. "Leaders and staff should be very proud of the findings of this report, and other care homes should look to this report to see if there's anything to learn from it."Residents and their families were "overwhelmingly positive" about the home in Brampton, he said, adding its residents had access to "an impressive number of social events and activities".These included playing bingo at the local community centre and a community sports service being invited into the home to do exercise also heard a resident who used to be a disc jockey had been supported to do it again at the community CQC's report detailed staff were supported by a "highly motivated management team who ensured they received appropriate training", and that "leaders investigated incidents thoroughly".It also noted that pre-assessments of residents meant staff were aware of their individual needs before moving in.A spokesperson for the care home said staff were "overwhelmed" and "over the moon" with the CQC's report. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
York Hospital upgraded to 'requires improvement' after inspection
A hospital previously deemed to be providing an 'inadequate' level of services has improved, according to a follow-up inspection. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has moved York Hospital, run by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, from an overall rating of 'inadequate' to 'requires improvement' after inspectors visited in January. Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations for the north, said it was "positive" to see improvements had been made, but "more work was needed"."They should continue to build on these foundations, ensure their improvements are embedded and sustained, and we'll continue to monitor them to make sure this happens," he said. Simon Morritt, Chief Executive, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the improvements were "a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our staff". "We're particularly pleased the CQC noted that most patients and their families felt treated with compassion and kindness, a reflection of the values we work hard to uphold every day," he said."We know there is more to do. Our focus now is on embedding the improvements we've made, strengthening leadership at every level, and creating a culture where both patients and colleagues feel safe, supported, and valued." Long waiting times The inspection identified the following improvements:Urgent and emergency care has improved from inadequate to requires improvement, as have the ratings for being safe and responsiveWell-led has improved from inadequate to goodEffective and caring have improved from requires improvement to goodOverall, medical care has been re-rated as requires improvement, as well as for being safe, effective, responsive and well-ledCaring has been re-rated as goodHowever, the CQC report did raise concerns about "breaches relating to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment", and further highlighted issues around good management and staffing in medical that were earmarked for improvement included tackling long waiting times, and more training for staff risk-assessing people with mental health needs in urgent and emergency care medical care services, it was found that the service "did not consistently maintain the environment" to ensure it was fit for purpose, and there were issues with ensuring people's information was accurate and kept Stephenson added: "When we inspected urgent and emergency care and medical care services at the York Hospital, it was positive to see that some improvements had been made since our previous inspection. "However more work was needed across both services to improve the standard of care people were receiving."CQC said it would continue to monitor the Trust, and has requested it submits an action plan showing what steps it will take in response to the concerns raised."The Trust has made some improvements, but they have more work to do to make sure people are safer and leadership continues to improve, as we know that better leaders mean better care," the inspection report concluded. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
