Calderdale Paediatric service is first in the UK to gain accreditation

The accreditation shows that the way services are delivered meet internationally-recognised best practice requirements for delivering outstanding services for children, young people and their families.

Read: Five animals at Halifax RSPCA looking for a new home - can you help?Inspectors praised the good practice of the service and highlighted several excellent areas including 12 steps to theatre, which supports the child and their family by demystifying the different steps in a child’s journey to theatre for an operation, creating a new teenage room and creating a You Tube video with young actors looking at what happens in hospital through the eyes of children.

Anne Marie Henshaw Assistant Director of Quality and Safety at CHFT said: "This is a real achievement for us and we are incredibly proud, particularly as at the time we were inspected, we were the first Children’s service to participate in this quality assurance programme.

"The accreditation is recognition of our aim to make a real difference to both the children in our care and their families.”

Read: Another big show is set to arrive in Halifax at The Piece Hall this summerMoyra Amess, Associate Director, Assurance and Accreditation, CHKS said: “The accreditation process requires dedication and commitment. Every organisation we make this award to has proved to our external assessors that its standards and process meet international best practice standards. This is a significant achievement.”