CQC rates Northumberland care home Outstanding

Published: 24 May 2018 Page last updated: 24 May 2018
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The CQC has found the quality of care provided by The Old Vicarage, a care home in Wooler, Northumberland to be Outstanding following an inspection in March 2018.

The Old Vicarage provides accommodation and personal care for up to 18 older people. At the time of this inspection there were 17 people using the service.

CQC asks five questions when it inspects. Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led? The Old Vicarage is rated as Outstanding for being caring and responsive, and Good for safe, effective and well-led.

A full report of the inspection has been published on our website.

Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North, said:

“We found the quality of care provided at The Old Vicarage, a care home in Northumberland to be outstanding.

“People are clearly at the heart of what they do, our inspector heard and witnessed wonderful examples of high quality care being delivered at the home. Residents, their families, staff and healthcare professionals alike all praised the home for its caring nature.

“We saw that the service reacted positively to the previous inspection, making the required improvements, but they have not stopped there. Being awarded an Outstanding rating demonstrates what striving for improvement can achieve.

“It is a fantastic example of how dedicated staff, focusing on person-centred care, underpinned by solid management can have a positive effect on both the lives of the people using the service and their families as well. Truly well done and congratulations.”

Some of the findings from the inspection included:

  • The inspector found the service to be extremely focused on person-centred care, receiving numerous examples of how staff went “above and beyond.”
  • Staff organised shopping trips, and retailer visits to the home, for the residents which helped promote their independence.
  • The care delivery was closely designed around and reflected people’s changing needs.
  • Residents enjoyed the comforting effect of engaging with animals brought into the home and grounds.
  • The service was well engaged in the community, including local schools and healthcare centres.

Ends

For further information please contact CQC Regional Engagement Officer Mark Humphreys on 0191 201 1675.

Journalists wishing to speak to the press office outside of office hours can find out how to contact the team here.

Please note: the press office is unable to advise members of the public on health or social care matters. For general enquiries, please call 03000 61 61 61.

We found the quality of care provided at The Old Vicarage, a care home in Northumberland to be outstanding

Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.