Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice has been rated outstanding following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January and February.
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice service provides clinical support for 350 babies, children, and young people and their families in north central and north west London. The service provides support both at their hospice building, The Ark, and out in the community.
The hospice was previously rated as good overall and inspectors found that leadership and staff had worked extremely hard to ensure people were receiving exemplary care.
Following the inspection, the service was rated outstanding overall and for being caring and responsive. It was rated good for being safe, effective and well-led.
Jane Ray, CQC deputy director of operations in London, said:
“When we inspected Noah’s Ark – The Childrens Hospice, we were extremely impressed by what staff had done to take this service from good to outstanding since we last inspected.
“The service really understood what children and young people as well as their families needed, both clinically, and emotionally at a really difficult time in their lives.
“Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious needs of people and how it may relate to their care needs. For example the hospice offered a multifaith room with access to different religious artefacts and they had links with local religious leaders who could attend the Ark if families requested support from them.
“The hospice provided clinical space for doctors to come and visit children and their families instead of them having to travel to the hospital. Families told us how much their children valued this service, helping them to feel more comfortable.
“We are very pleased to award the service an outstanding rating and the whole team deserve to be congratulated for all their hard work and commitment. We would urge other services to read this report and see what they can learn from this outstanding example.”
Sophie Andrew OBE, CEO of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, said:
“Being CEO of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice means I am privileged to see the truly outstanding work that takes place every day, and I am thrilled that this has been recognised by the CQC. The rating is a testament to the passion, dedication and tenacity of the entire Noah’s Ark workforce, who will do all they can to ensure that those we care for can make the most of every day.”
“Receiving an outstanding is a phenomenal achievement and I am incredibly proud of the entire team.”
