The Links a care home in Broadstone, Dorset has received an overall rating of Outstanding following an inspection in June and July 2018 by the Care Quality Commission.
Inspectors rated the service Outstanding for being responsive and well-led and Good for being safe, effective and caring.
The Links provides accommodation and personal care for up to 68 older people.
A copy of the report can be found here www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-503803856
Deborah Ivanova, Deputy Chief Inspector, Adult Social Care, said;
“The Links has a culture where the provision of consistent, high quality, compassionate care is at the heart of its operation. It is clear that the staff and management are committed to providing individualised care and treating people with dignity and respect while encouraging independence.
“People told inspectors that they receive exceptional care that regularly exceeds their expectations and makes them feel happy and at home. Relatives were also overwhelmingly positive when describing the standards of care provided.
“I would like to congratulate the staff and management on their achievement in improving the standard of care so that it merits our highest rating of Outstanding”
The full inspection report can be found at: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-503803856
Inspectors found a very strong emphasis on the provision of activities that were meaningful to the people living in the home. People were supported to pursue interests and hobbies that were important to them. Activities were continually evaluated to ensure that they remained appropriate to people's needs and individual preferences. People were also able to access the local community either independently or with support
Risks were assessed and managed pro-actively. The service had been designed, based on research evidence, to promote the independence and wellbeing of people who lived with dementia. People were supported to take risks to maintain their independence as far as possible, for example, if they could walk they were encouraged to do so
Staff provided care in a way that protected people's privacy and dignity and promoted independence.
The service was a learning organisation. Lessons were learned and improvements made when things went wrong. Concerns and complaints were seen as an opportunity to bring about improvement. The registered manager and their team exercised their duty of candour, keeping people and where appropriate their relatives informed about what had happened as the result of an accident or incident.
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