We rated the service as good because:

• The service had a full range of healthcare professionals and nursing staff to provide safe and effective treatment for patients. The multidisciplinary team came together on a weekly basis to discuss patient care. The service ensured young people were able to continue with their education during their admission, providing flexible tuition as needed. The service increased the numbers of nursing staff according to patient risk or need.

• The service was committed to reducing restrictive practices on the wards and had introduced their own tool to ensure that patients were involved as far as possible. Staff consulted with patients and planned any physical interventions that might take place.

• The service provided staff with a range of training to keep patients safe. This included safeguarding, prevention and management of violence and aggression in patients of low weight, and specialist training in eating disorders.

• Staff administered medicines safely. Staff carried out regular physical health checks such as, blood tests and monitoring patients’ vital signs. The dietitian worked in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team to provide guidance around safe refeeding protocols.

• Patients and their family members knew how to complain. When patients did complain staff responded in writing in a timely and appropriate way. Patients felt involved in their care and treatment and able to tell staff if they wanted to change things. The service ran a monthly support group for carers to attend if they could. Parents, carers, and young people had access to a family therapist for support in their care and treatment.

• The majority of patients gave positive feedback about the way staff treated them. We observed positive interactions between staff and patients, and appropriate support at meal times.

• Staff morale was high. Staff received regular supervision to discuss their role and development. Patients were involved in recruiting new staff, and could vote for their ‘employee of the month’.

However:

• Patients’ bedroom doors were not fitted with an anti-barricade mechanism. This meant that staff could not open the doors outwards to access in an emergency. Bedroom doors did not have viewing panels for staff to observe patients at night-time. Since the inspection, the provider has fitted outward opening doors with viewing panels on two bedrooms.