The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by Heathwood Care Home in Weston Super-Mare, Somerset to be Outstanding following an inspection in October 2016.
Inspectors rated Heathwood Care Home, Outstanding for being responsive to people’s needs and well-led and Good for being safe, effective and caring.
Deborah Ivanova, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, said:
“We found Heathwood Care Home exceptionally responsive to people living with dementia and the ethos of the home, to promote homeliness so that people feel they belong, could be felt throughout.
“We were delighted to see that people were at the heart of the service. People were central to decisions about their choice of activities, and rooms had been designed to suit people’s interests and needs. Staff also supported people to maintain their hobbies or to take up new ones.
“People praised the care provided and relatives valued their relationships with staff. Staff had excellent knowledge of what was important to people, their life histories and interests, which enabled staff to tailor care to each person’s needs and wellbeing.
“The staff at Heathwood Care Home worked hard to empower people and improve their quality of life. People enjoyed the care they received. They enjoyed socialising and having fun, with interesting things to do and learn. The team should be extremely proud of the work they do. I would like to congratulate the staff at Heathwood Care Home for achieving our highest rating.”
Inspectors observed staff had excellent knowledge and skills to support those living with dementia. Even wearing nightclothes when on duty through the night hours to help people judge what time of day it was. This helped settle a person’s confusion about day and night.
Staff were aware of people’s routines. The service encouraged people to remain independent by supporting access to activities and events in their local community. The service were innovative in their approach to supporting people’s independence, for example, payment cards had been arranged for use at the local rugby club so people who went there could make purchases independently without asking the service for a sum of money.
The ‘dementia lead’ provided frequent training and support for staff. Staff were able to confidently use dementia skills to better understand people’s situations and care needs. This also influenced the design and development of a dementia friendly environment to allow people to feel comfortable and safe within the home.
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Staff had excellent knowledge of what was important to people, their life histories and interests, which enabled staff to tailor care to each person’s needs and wellbeing.
Deborah Ivanova, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care