Children's hospice rated outstanding in all areas

Rainbows Hospice, run by Cope Children's Trust, is a specialist palliative care service

Rainbows has become the first children's hospice in England to be rated outstanding across all five inspection areas by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors said Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, based in Loughborough, provided "exemplary and compassionate care" to children and young people.

The hospice, run by Cope Children's Trust, is a specialist palliative care service that supports babies, children, and young people up to the age of 25 with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

An inspection was carried out in June and a report by the CQC rated Rainbows outstanding for being safe, caring, responsive, effective and well-led.

The hospice was last inspected in May 2016, when it was given an overall rating of outstanding but rated good for being safe and caring.

Julie Taylor, executive nurse at Rainbows, said the result of the inspection in June was a "testament to the hard work" of everyone involved with the hospice.

Ms Taylor added: "Over the past five years, Rainbows has worked diligently to ensure our services remain relevant and responsive to the needs of babies, children, young people, and their families, across the East Midlands.

"We've extended our reach beyond the hospice, delivering care in hospitals, communities, and family homes - making Rainbows' specialist expertise more accessible to those facing terminal or life-threatening conditions."

Inspectors said they found staff at the hospice went "above and beyond" to understand the individual needs and preferences of young people.

Craig Howarth, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: "They adapted rooms for people who returned to the service, and one child told us about their matching bedding, gentle music and time allocated for swimming.

"It was encouraging to see how staff involved families in people's care and listened to their views and concerns.

"They provided them with practical help and emotional support, and were very understanding of their situations. Parents told inspectors this help was a lifeline."