CQC Report for Community Mental Health Services
Independent inspectors
have reported improvements within our specialist community health services and increased their rating following an inspection.
They reported improvements to the service including how we provide comprehensive, holistic recovery centred care plans for our young people and saw kind and compassionate interactions.
Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) pointed to a number of areas where improvements were needed but increased the rating of the service from inadequate to requires improvement.
The Trust’s Children’s Hospital remains rated as Outstanding while the Women’s Hospital is rated as Good.
Matt Boazman, Chief Executive of BWC, said: “I am really pleased that the CQC has recognised the efforts of our mental health colleagues since their last visit and improved the rating of the service.
“We know there is a lot more work to do to consistently provide the level of care we want to for our children and young people but this news shows we are heading in the right direction.
“We will continue to deliver our improvement plan and we are working with our growing group of experts by experience who are collaborating with our colleagues to help shape the changes that are needed to provide the best possible care.
“I would like to thank them as well as our hard working colleagues for their efforts to date and continuing passion and enthusiasm for this important work.”
The CQC has highlighted issues with the physical environment including a lack of suitable space and access but recognised the work was reflected in the Trust’s estates strategy. It also noted that teams did not have access to the full range of specialists needed.
Inspectors did note:
- The trust used systems to help them monitor waiting lists and staff assessed and treated patients who required urgent care promptly.
- Staff provided a range of treatments that were informed by best-practice guidance for children and young people.
- Managers monitored caseloads and had improved processes to ensure people were not lost to follow up and that staff contacted children and young people who did not attend appointments.
- Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment and in collaboration with families and carers.
Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for managing Forward-Thinking Birmingham. Forward Thinking Birmingham is one of the largest child and adolescent mental health services in England. It has a dedicated inpatient eating disorder and acute assessment unit for regional referrals of children and young people with the most serious mental health concerns and provides community mental health services for 0–25-year-olds.
Following the inspection, as well as the overall rating for community mental health services for children and young people, the ratings for safe, responsive and well-led have also moved up from inadequate to requires improvement. How effective and caring were rated requires improvement again.