Safety recommendation
HSSIB recommends that the Care Quality Commission uses the findings of this report to ensure healthcare providers and integrated care boards implement a robust way for risks associated with the adaptations made to acute paediatric wards to be escalated and managed.
Response:
Our new single assessment framework assesses providers, local authorities and systems. To monitor the risks associated with adaptations made to acute paediatric wards, we will open up the safe environments quality statement to review how providers keep people safe from psychological harm as well as physical harm, in relation to their sensory and therapeutic needs. Under safe and effective staffing ,we check there are appropriate staffing levels and skill mix to ensure people receive consistently safe, good quality care which meets their needs and that staff receive training appropriate to their role. Under the effective key question, delivering evidence-based care and treatment will check that the ward is following NICE guidelines, quality standards and guidance from the Royal College of Psychiatrists for safer mental health environments. For escalating and managing these risks, safe systems, pathways and transitions will check there is awareness of the risks to children across their care journeys and the effectiveness of these processes is monitored and managed.
Our Mental Health Act Reviewers will continue to review the use of the MHA for children detained on a paediatric ward. We have work underway to draft a new methodology for monitoring the use of the MHA in acute hospitals in order to improve and increase our MHA monitoring activity.
Our ‘Improving Regulation for Children Inappropriately Placed’ (IRCIP) mental health work stream is looking specifically at how we can improve outcomes for children with mental health needs who are inappropriately placed in an acute hospital setting. This group is also looking at the inappropriate placement of children in a Section 136 suite.
We have deployed a working group who have reviewed cases of children and adults being sedated as a form of restraint, and we have now produced a position statement and guidance. We will use that work to equip our people to provide consistent, effective scrutiny where we find incidences of chemical restraint.
The Health and Care Act 2022 gives us new regulatory powers that allow us to offer an independent assessment of integrated care systems. This will enable us to monitor how the risk presented to children in acute settings is being shared across the wider health and social care system.
Actions planned to deliver safety recommendation:
- CQC will effectively use the most relevant quality statements that address the risks associated with adaptations made to the acute paediatric ward and how these risks are escalated and managed, during inspections of these providers. By when: during inspections. Resources in place: Operational resource already in place. Other dependencies identified: Staff vacancies and prioritising risk.
- CQC will continue to carry out Mental Health Act visits in acute hospitals monitor the use of the formal powers of the MHA for children who are detained on a paediatric ward. By when: During MHA monitoring visits. Resources in place: We do not have the operational resources currently to deliver MHA monitoring activity regularly in acute hospitals. Currently, we would need to scale back our MHA monitoring activity in mental health services in order to prioritise activity in acute settings. Other dependencies identified: Staff resource and prioritising risk. Additional comments: MHA visits routinely take place in mental health facilities. However, we are aware of our duty to review the use of the MHA in all settings. We have work underway to draft a new methodology for monitoring the use of the MHA in acute hospitals in order to improve and increase our MHA monitoring activity in acute hospitals, subject to sufficient resources.
- We will continue to assess mental health provision during acute hospital inspections. By when: During on site and remote assessments. Resources in place: Operational resources already in place. Other dependencies: Staff vacancies and prioritising risk. Additional comments: Assessing Mental Health care is always in scope of how we assess an acute service and is always a part of our current overall judgement of the service. Our actual assessment activity will focus on different things at different times in any service depending on where the risk lies.
- We will share the outcomes of our Improving Regulation for Children Inappropriately Placed (IRCIP) project with stakeholders. By when: Project completion date expected June 2025. Resources in place: Resource has been allotted for successful completion of this project.
- We have produced guidance on acute behavioural disturbance and chemical restraint. By when: June 2024. Resources in place: Regulatory Leadership panel.
- We have produced a position statement on chemical restraint and intubation in people with a learning disability and autistic people. By when: June 2024. Resources in place: Regulatory Leadership panel.
- Monitoring Integrated Care Boards. By when: Post election. Resources in place: Our most recent public announcement was on 24th May, and it remains the case that we are awaiting sign off of the ICS assessment methodology. This aspect of our work has been paused for 6 months.
Response received on 13 August 2024.