Independent Expert Completes Time at Bancroft
Favorable Report Issued
Haddonfield, NJ – Bancroft NeuroHealth has received a favorable report from the independent expert who was appointed as part of a settlement agreement between Bancroft and the New Jersey Office of the Child Advocate following a six-month review period.
“Today’s report recognizes our many attributes and progressive changes that have taken place,” said Toni Pergolin, Bancroft NeuroHealth president. “We have endured the highest level of scrutiny possible by a person who is a recognized leader in our field and came out of it with a positive report. In fact, 39 of the 41 individual requirements were noted to be in compliance (one of the 39 specifically indicated “acceptable”); the other two were administrative in nature, and do not relate specifically to the quality of care provided.”
The independent expert’s role was to provide technical assistance to Bancroft as it implemented the terms of the settlement agreement and to conduct site visits, review policies and procedures and extensive monthly reports. “We have been held to a higher standard than other similar service providers and are pleased that we have emerged from this process a stronger organization.”
Although the report indicates substantial compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement, the Office of the Child Advocate is recommending continued monitoring on several of the items noted to be in compliance – none of which relate to health and safety matters -- and so Bancroft will be pursuing further discussions with the OCA on this matter.
In our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible services for each person served, we acknowledge that we will always be a work in progress, and are fully committed to continuous quality improvement. In the spirit of performance improvement, we welcome the continuing review and visits by the OCA and other officials,” stated Pergolin. “Bancroft is a fully licensed and accredited private organization that is known for providing best practices. Our issues are comparable to the issues faced by every other organization serving this population in the current environment” said Pergolin.
According to the report, the author states “on the more than two-dozen occasions when the author was on the campus, at the Lindens, the Campus Residential, the School, and the central administrative complex, the Bancroft staff appeared to be both concerned and competent.”
Further, the author also noted “The organization (Bancroft) has, to its credit, instilled a sense of pride and professionalism in its staff that is to be commended. Providing residential care for children with multiple challenges is even more challenging in an environment where staff feel that their decisions may be second-guessed and taken out of context.”
The following areas were studied over the six-month period and all were found to be “in compliance:”
Adequacy of staffing
Management changes – staffing coordinator, staffing supervisors
Staffing schedules
Staff training
Staffing policies
Time and attendance system
System for conducting random monitoring visits to each apartment
Reporting and investigations
Quality management reports
“Bancroft is a 123 year old not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving children and adults with developmental disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and other neurological impairments. In providing over one hundred years of service, we have faced difficulties along the way. Regardless of the words of our naysayers and detractors, we continue, day-in-and-day-out to care for children, teens and adults who require a level of service that is not easily found. We teach them, nurture them and love them and do our part to make their lives as fulfilling as possible,” Pergolin added.
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