THE work of Cumbrian health staff has been recognised as their rating leapt from 'inadequate' to 'good' after an unannounced inspection.

The Care Quality Commission's latest inspection of children's community services in the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) praised high quality patient care, improved waiting times and collaborative work.

Clare Parker, director of Quality and Nursing said that it was 'fantastic news' that highlighted the 'positive work' done over the past year.

"I am delighted to see our brilliant staff commended for all their hard work and their commitment to improving the services for children, young people and their families in Cumbria," she said.

The report comes after the CQC undertook the unannounced inspection of the Trust in January. The visited services included health visitors, school nurses, therapies, children's nurses, community paediatrics, sexual health and family nurse partnerships.

Inspectors considered if the services were safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led - all five of the services were deemed to be 'good'.

The report recognised that a robust safeguarding supervision model had been implemented to ensure staff shared best practice, there was improved leadership, governance and culture which promoted the delivery of high quality person-centred care and services for children and young people were organised to meet the needs of children and young people.

It also highlighted outstanding practice for the Love Barrow Families initiative that has been designed to help improve how adult and child health services work together with social care services to achieve the best outcomes of the complex needs of vulnerable families in Barrow.

However, associate director of nursing for the Children's and Families care group Joanne Hiley said that the Trust would continue pushing for 'outstanding'.

"Despite the good judgement, we are ambitious about continuing to support our staff to deliver outstanding care," she said. "The hard work of our staff and support from our partners is exemplified in this CQC report and I'm really pleased that inspectors recognised the good services CPFT offer for children and young people in Cumbria".