Mental health service has rating upgraded
GoogleSpecialist community mental health services at an NHS trust have been upgraded to a good rating by the health watchdog.
In April 2026, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the service at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and found it to be "effective, well-led, caring and responsive", but that some young people's risk assessments lacked contingency plans to keep them safe.
Chief nurse Beverley Murphy said the service is "incredibly proud" of the changes they have made but recognises the areas which still need further improvement.
The overall rating for wider the trust and the safety of it remains as "requires improvement".
CQC deputy director of mental health in the north-east Jayne Reid said she was "encouraged to see improvements across the service" with "staff going above and beyond to ensure children and young people were receiving a good level of care".
Improvements still needed
The latest inspection found staff demonstrated a "kind and compassionate" approach to young people, who said they felt seen and heard by staff.
But it also found risk assessments that did not include plans to manage risks or detail contingency plans to keep patients safe.
The report said the involvement of young people and carers in safety planning was "not always fully recorded" and some lacked detail.
Reid said the CQC will continue to monitor the trust to ensure the quality of care is "embedded and sustained".
Murphy said her team would take action on the consistency of risk assessments, safety summaries and safety plans.
The trust provides mental health and learning disability services to people of all ages across north-east England, covering County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
