Young people's mental health wards 'must improve'

Child and adolescent mental health wards in an NHS Trust have been downgraded to "requires improvement" following concerns over care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that the care at all five wards, operated by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, was in breach of regulation.

Inspectors said the wards at Acklam Road Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and Ferndene, in Prudhoe, did not always carry out comprehensive ligature risk assessments and the use of face down restraint was high, but that staff treated patients with kindness.

Sarah Glacken, executive director of nursing and therapies, said the trust was "working hard to make improvements".

The inspection took place between 18 and 21 August to follow up on concerns raised about the standard of care people had received.

The CQC said it found breaches of regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from abuse and improper treatment, person-centred care, staffing and good management.

However, inspectors said staff treated patients with compassion and kindness and the service provided a range of activities for people as well as education, which was tailored to support their wellbeing.

As well as the use of face down restraint being high on the wards, the report said mechanical restraint was not carried out in line with national guidance and could put people at risk of harm.

Inspectors added that at the time of inspection the trust had started to reduce these incidents.

Staff had not received the necessary training to support people appropriately and did not always raise safeguarding concerns to relevant partner organisations to help protect people from harm, the CQC said.

The trust said the wards are using a new ligature assessment tool to identify areas of higher risk and that it was adding managing that risk to its mandatory staff training programme.

It also said that last year it introduced mandatory training on how to support autistic people and those with learning disabilities.

Glacken said the report "highlighted a number of positives" and that "young people told inspectors that staff treated them with warmth, empathy and respect".

"We accept the findings of this report and are working hard to make improvements," she said.

"Providing safe, high-quality care is our top priority."

Glacken added the trust was reviewing and updating its restraint policy "to ensure it is clearer about the exceptional circumstances in which restraint can be used".

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