required . People and their family members could access a range of support services across the hospice and community setting to suit their needs and preferences . For example , art and complementary therapies , individual and family bereavement counselling and support . People and their families had access to a chaplain for spiritual and bereavement care and support . Assessment and agreement of people ' s emotional and spiritual needs and those of their carers ; were shown in people ' s care records . This showed that people were appropriately informed and supported in their care .
People and relatives we spoke with particularly valued the emotional support they received from hospice staff and the timely pain relief and symptom control people received . One person said , " Caring is above and beyond , they almost anticipate when you need support ; they are wonderful ." We spoke with another person about their pain relief management . They told us they were fully informed and involved in any decisions about their treatment and said , '' I am asked how much pain I am in and it is certainly better managed here ; The staff are so kind to everyone ; They are angels ." One person ' s relative told us , " They looked after us both ; they make me feel it ' s okay to ask for help ; it ' s such a relief ."
Comments received from people and relatives showed they felt staff paid attention to the detail of their lives , how their illness affected them and matters that were important to them . One person said , " The really care about you ' re not just a condition here ." The relative of one person who received hospice at home care said , " You only have to mention a worry – they go out of their way to help ; I ' ve never come across such care ."
People ' s families were supported to visit the hospice at times to suit them and also the person receiving care . Dedicated facilities were provided for people ' s visitors , which included a lounge rest area , access to meals and drinks and a private area for people ' s families . When people received life end stage care , they received this in private . Their families were supported to stay overnight either in an overnight stay room or by use of ' put up ' beds . One person told us , "' My wife can visit and stay overnight now ; there ' s a pull out comfy bed plus a family area with bedroom lounge and kitchen ."
People using the service , those that mattered to them and the wider community received the emotional , spiritual and bereavement support they needed . St Giles hospice provided a comprehensive counselling and bereavement support service . This was provided to adults and their families , children , younger adults and also staff where required . A number of methods were used to deliver this from a range of professional and qualified staff . For example , counselling and support for people ' s children who had been bereaved due to a sudden or traumatic death of a close family member . Nurses and care staff employed at the service received varying levels of bereavement training up to advanced level where relevant to their role ; to support people ' s care in this way . During our inspection we saw that relatives were supported to attend the hospice for bereavement support after the person ' s death . This helped to ensure that people using the service and those that mattered to them received the emotional , spiritual and bereavement support the needed .
The hospice service was subject to a range of awards and good practice initiatives , which demonstrated a caring organisation . For example , collaboration with a partner hospice , charitable trust to set up a community support centre to promote people ' s wellbeing in later and end of life . This enabled people to access care and advice closer to home with support from local volunteers and care professionals . St Giles Hospice , Whittington also won Bereavement Project of the Year in 2015 through the National Council for Palliative Care National awards for their Bereavement Help Points . These are drop in sessions , that continue to run across the wider community in places such as supermarkets ; offering people advice and support on coping with bereavement and loss .
16 St Giles Hospice - Whittington Inspection report 24 February 2017