The Rotherham Hospice is purpose built and offers a range of services for the people in area of Rotherham. It is situated on the outskirts of Rotherham town centre and has good transport links.

The hospice has a 14 bed inpatient unit. All bedrooms are single occupancy with ensuite facilities.

The hospice provides a day hospice service and a day therapy and treatment service. The day hospice is open six days a week.

The purpose of the day hospice is to offer support and advice to people, a range of activities, and incorporates therapies such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy alongside complementary therapies and emotional support.

The day therapy and treatment service offers day treatments, such as blood transfusions, to improve symptom control to aid the feeling of “well-being” to enable people to remain independent for as long as possible.

Health and well-being services are delivered in day hospice. The service includes a 12 week group programme focusing on key issues that need to be addressed to aid well-being. Advice is given on areas such as staying active, diet and pain management.

The hospice has counselling, bereavement and psychology services which are available to people, children and their families. People can be seen individually or with their family.

Rotherham Hospice has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Day-to-day operation of the hospice is delegated by the Board of Trustees to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO discharges responsibilities through the Hospice Executive Team.

Specialist palliative care practitioners provide medical cover together with two part time consultants in palliative medicine. 24 hour cover by the medical team is provided.

As part of Rotherham Hospice community team the ‘Hospice at Home’ team support people and their families in their home 24 hours a day. There is also an advice line available to people, their families and professionals 24 hours a day. The line is operated by a qualified specialist nurse who provide advice on the phone or by visiting the person with any concerns or care needs.

Our last inspection at Rotherham Hospice took place in July 2014. Rotherham Hospice was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected at that time.

This inspection took place on 15 and 17 August 2016. The inspection on 15 August 2015 was unannounced. This meant staff at the hospice did not know we were coming. On 15 August 2016 nine beds on the in-patient unit were occupied and the ‘Hospice at Home’ team were supporting 23 people.

We found suitable arrangements were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Staff knew what to do if an allegation of abuse was made to them or if they suspected that abuse had occurred.

The service was not consistently following safe practice surrounding medicines management.

We found people were cared for by sufficient numbers of suitably skilled, competent and experienced staff who were safely recruited. Staff received the essential training and support necessary to enable them to do their job effectively and care for people safely.

People were supported to maintain a nutritious diet at the service and people told us about the high quality of the food. There was a choice of menu, drinks and snacks provided.

Staff worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) where appropriate. People had choices about their care and their consent was sought by staff although this consent was not always clearly recorded.

People, who used the service, and their families, told us that they were supported by caring, kind staff and treated with respect.

Some care plans did not fully reflect

Our inspection looked at our five questions; is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, speaking with the staff supporting them and looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

Staff were given guidance to ensure that they cared for people safely, and detailed risk assessments and records were in place to ensure people received the care, treatment and support they required. People were cared for in a clean, hygienic environment and were protected from the risk of infection. The premises were safe and fit for purpose.

Is the service effective?

People's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

Care plans contained assessments of people’s care and support needs. These assessments described the steps staff should take to ensure each person’s needs were met. Evidence we checked showed that staff were following people’s care plans and risk assessments.

Audits and reviews took place to ensure that care was delivered in a way that met people’s needs.

Is the service caring?

People we spoke with praised the service. One said: “They really look after you.” Another person told us: “I feel like it’s tailored around me. It’s personalised support that I get because the staff know me well.” We observed that staff interacted warmly and considerately with people.

Is the service responsive?

Where the provider identified areas for improvement, these were implemented. The provider was remodelling the way it provides day services, to better meet people’s needs.

Is the service well-led?

There was a quality assurance system in place, where audits of all aspects of the service were carried out. This was thorough, and where action was required we saw it was implemented.

Before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes. One person using the service told us “staff talk to me about everything they wish to do.”

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration. One person using the service told us “the food here is great; I am well fed with plenty to choose from.”

People were protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had been followed. People were cared for in a clean, hygienic environment.

People were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

There was an effective complaints system available. Comments and complaints people made were responded to appropriately.

People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were maintained.

People’s views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care. People’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected. One person using the service told us “staff always use language I understand”.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. One person told us, "staff here are fantastic, they are doing a great job". One relative told us “visiting is not restricted in any way”.

People who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

People were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. One staff member said “we have an effective and supportive staff team”.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.

The provider had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people who use the service and others.

People were not protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were not maintained.