Somerset NHS trust improves mental health services for children

A NHS trust has improved its mental health services for children from 'requires improvement' to 'outstanding'.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Somerset NHS Foundation Trust as 'good' overall following a recent inspection.

The trust was formed in April 2020 with the merger of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

The CQC praised the trust for the quality of services after the merger.

"It's a remarkable achievement to merge trusts at the beginning of a national pandemic and yet Somerset NHS Foundation Trust have continued to maintain the good quality of service that we had come to expect," said Deanna Westwood, CQC director of operations.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is the first trust on the English mainland to provide community, mental health, and acute hospital services.

Inspectors visited in September 2022 with community mental health provision for children and young people among the services they were assessing.

"Children and adolescent mental health services are more needed than ever, and the trust had adapted new ways to provide early support," the CQC said.

Inspectors found that "staff treated people with compassion and kindness", respected their privacy and understood individual needs.

Acute wards for adults and the psychiatric intensive care unit retained the previous rating of 'good' overall but was rated as 'requires improvement' for safety.

Community end of life care services remained 'good' and inspectors said staff found ways to ensure people were able to see their loved ones.

Ms Westwood said: "This inspection found that the trust was well-led but the leadership team acknowledged there is still further work to be do.

"I am confident that the leadership team will be able to implement the further improvements required but also sustain those changes already made."

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