The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has again rated Demelza, Hospice Care for Children in Kent as outstanding following an inspection in May.
Demelza Hospice Care for Children is a hospice service for children run by Demelza House Children's Hospice.
The inspection was undertaken as part of CQC’s routine monitoring of adult social care services.
CQC re-rated the service as outstanding for caring and responsive, and good for safe, effective and well-led.
Amanda WIlliams, CQC’s deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care for the South East, said:
"Demelza Hospice Care for Children provided exceptional care that put children and their families at the heart of everything they did. Staff demonstrated an understanding of each child's unique needs and consistently went above and beyond to ensure care was personalised, compassionate and meaningful.
"Families told us the service respected their children's wishes and described the care as 'going above and beyond.' One relative said the service cared for the whole family, not just their child. Staff supported siblings from age 5 with tailored emotional and social activities, ensuring they felt seen, heard and supported too.
"The service showed outstanding commitment to reducing health inequalities. Staff actively engaged with local communities to understand specific issues around palliative and end-of-life care for diverse groups. They worked with faith groups to ensure cultural needs were met with sensitivity and respect. When families shared concerns about lack of events in their area, leaders quickly arranged bereavement cafés in that location.
"Children and young people had a strong voice in shaping the service through the 'Be Seen, Be Heard, Young Voices' group. Leaders listened to feedback and acted on it. For example, they introduced grief journals for bereaved families after hearing what would help them most.
"Staff created innovative ways to support wellbeing beyond clinical care. This included music therapy to help manage pain during procedures, therapy dogs to reduce stress and anxiety, and volunteer-led support with practical tasks like gardening, shopping and pet care. Families could access yoga, counselling and memory-making activities.
“Leaders and staff at Demelza, Hospice Care for Children should be very proud of the findings of this report. Other services should look to this report to see if there’s anything to learn from it.”
Inspectors found:
- The service worked closely with NHS hospitals and other providers to deliver joined-up, flexible care that supported family choice, continuity, and dignity.
- Staff showed deep compassion during difficult end-of-life conversations, helping families feel prepared and supported throughout their child’s journey.
- Leaders deliberately limited bed occupancy to five children at a time, despite having ten beds available, so staff could provide safe one-to-one care for each child.
- The service supported 12 of 14 children to die in their preferred place during the last year, demonstrating effective advance care planning.
- Families contacted staff whenever they felt worried or their child became agitated, and the team responded promptly and resolved concerns effectively.
- Staff and leaders fostered a strong learning culture, encouraging people to raise concerns and share ideas; one team member said they had “never seen an organisation so keen to listen, learn and continuously improve.”