May 12 (Monday) is International Nurses Day and to mark the occasion this year (2025) Tŷ Hafan Childrens Hospice is sharing its most recent Independent Healthcare Inspection Report by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW).
Tŷ Hafan Chief Executive, Irfon Rees, (pictured right) explains: “HIW is the independent inspectorate and regulator of healthcare in Wales.
“Last October a five-strong team from HIW undertook a two-day on site planned inspection of Tŷ Hafan to assess the quality of our work.
“In January, HIW published ‘Independent Healthcare Inspection Report (Announced) Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice, Sully’. We shared the outcomes from this inspection with colleagues in February at our annual staff conference.
“At Tŷ Hafan, we’re proud of what we do and how we do it and grateful that our continual striving to deliver the highest possible standards of care and support for all has been formally recognised by HIW.
“International Nurses Day feels like a good opportunity to remind ourselves of this recognition and to proactively share the findings of this report more widely.”
What the HIW inspectors found
Compassionate care delivered by dedicated and skilled staff supported by strong leadership and an excellent culture. In particular the HIW team found:
- Happy children
- Satisfied families
- Individualised care
- Good quality, nutritious food
- Excellent multi-disciplinary working
- Strong governance and audit programme
- Bespoke activities
- Dignified care
What families told the HIW inspectors
Here are quotes from just two of the families the HIW inspectors spoke to:
“The hospice has given my daughter and us as a family a quality of life again. They have cared for us all as a family and helped my daughter’s pain tremendously. I don’t know where we would be without them.”
“Our son (and our family) have been cared for by Tŷ Hafan for 12 years. Everyone involved in the charity is lovely and only ever want the best for our children. It feels like they are part of the family.”
What this means for Tŷ Hafan
“This latest HIW Inspection Report shows that families and professionals can have confidence in the services Tŷ Hafan provides, that we are committed to continuous quality improvement and that our staff are fulfilled and happy,” says Irfon Rees.
“Ultimately this report shows that Tŷ Hafan is doing an excellent job in providing care and support for children with life-shortening conditions and their families, and, it is a great organisation to work for.
“This is a testament to the hard work, dedication and care of all of my colleagues and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.
“However we are not resting on our laurels. The publication in 2023 of our Prevalence and Complexity Report shows that currently we are only able to reach one in every ten children with a life-shortening condition who could benefit from our services.
“Tŷ Hafan’s ambition is that when a child’s life will be short, no family should have to live it on their own.
“We have so much more to do and I invite everyone to support us in whatever way they can so that we can reach every child and family who needs us.”
Pictured above: Tŷ Hafan nurse Carly and Dani-Rae, 3, enjoy a giggle together with Dani-Rae’s dad Charlie, mum Tyler and little brother Tommy at Tŷ Hafan’s hospice in Sully