A Teifi Valley hospice has been praised by inspectors for its “kind, dignified and person‑centred care.”

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) inspectors visited Skanda Vale Hospice, near Llandysul in January.

In a report, inspectors singled out the hospice’s holistic approach: complementary therapies, an outdoor quiet space with log burner, arts and crafts area, multi-faith space, and balconies leading directly from patient bedrooms onto the grounds.

“A notable degree of kind, dignified and person‑centred care and support was observed throughout the inspection,” the report said.

“All staff and volunteers engaged with patients and day hospice users in an unhurried manner, placing emphasis on interacting according to each person’s individual needs, preferences and routines.

“The hospice offered a range of carefully designed indoor and outdoor areas for patients to benefit from, contributing to a calm and peaceful atmosphere throughout the setting.”

The hospice was “notably clean and well-organised”, inspectors found, while feedback from surveys of patients, relatives and carers was “overwhelmingly positive across all areas, which included listening, kindness and sensitivity, privacy and dignity, and providing assistance with care, support and personal needs.”

Brother Jakob, Hospice Manager at Skanda Vale Hospice, said: “What you read in this report is not really about us — it’s about the patients and families who walk through our doors, and the team who treat every one of them as if they were family.

“To have that recognised so warmly, at a time when the wider healthcare system is having such a difficult conversation about pressure and safety, is a huge encouragement.”

Skanda Vale Hospice is run as a registered charity.

Its services are free of charge, and open to anyone living with a life-limiting illness who has palliative care needs.

The report included seven recommendations for further improvements.

An action plan has been developed to address the recommendations.