The recognition follows an assessment by Doncaster’s Young Advisors, who reviewed evidence, met with the team and carried out a virtual inspection to see how children and young people are involved in their care and the development of services.
Following the inspection, the Young Advisors awarded the Trust a ‘Consulted Child Friendly’ rating, praising the team for ensuring “young people who use Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals are at the forefront of every decision and consideration.”
They praised the wide range of opportunities available for young people to influence their own care and the future development of services.
Among the areas of outstanding practice identified was the launch of the Trust’s new Youth Voice Group, which brings together young people to share their experiences and help shape future services.
Young Advisors commended the development of a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) room in Children’s Outpatients, which was co-designed with young people and families after visits to sensory spaces and local SEND schools to understand what would make the greatest difference.
The assessment praised the Trust’s commitment to supporting young people through major milestones in their healthcare, including its use of the Ready, Steady, Go, Hello programme to help young patients transition from children to adult services.
Further positive findings included the Trust’s work to involve patients and families in decision-making, provide information in a range of accessible formats and collaborate with education, social care and community partners to reduce health inequalities.
The Young Advisors concluded that the Trust had demonstrated “a great example of child friendly” and commended colleagues for their dedication to making children and young people feel included, listened to and supported throughout their care.
Karen Jessop, Chief Nurse at DBTH, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition, particularly because it has been awarded by young people themselves. Their experiences and opinions are invaluable in helping us continually improve the care we provide.
“This accreditation reflects the commitment of colleagues across our paediatric services to ensuring children, young people and their families are listened to, involved in decisions about their care and feel welcome every time they visit our hospitals.
“While we’re delighted to have achieved Child Friendly status, we also recognise there is always more we can do and look forward to building on the feedback from the Young Advisors as we continue to develop our services.”
The Child Friendly initiative forms part of Doncaster Council’s ambition to become a Child Friendly City, celebrating organisations that actively champion the voices, rights and experiences of children and young people.
As part of the accreditation, DBTH will receive a follow-up review in six months’ time to monitor progress and support further improvements.
The accreditation comes shortly after Children and Young People’s Services at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals were rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following inspections earlier this year. Inspectors rated services as ‘Good’ across all five assessment areas – Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
