Staff at the Grizedale care home in Consett are celebrating on two fronts - the home has been rated "outstanding" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and it's also "never experienced" Covid-19 during the pandemic.
The care home - which looks after seven people with learning disabilities - is one of just a handful to have been awarded the top rating in recent months. The inspection report - published in January following visits in September and October 2022 - highlights how the home has "an ethos of always striving for excellence".
The report also contains feedback from residents and their relatives, who are said to have reported that "staff excelled". The inspectors continue: "This had led to people having exceptional experiences. People had become integral to the community and were welcomed to local community events. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests."
The glowing report sees Grizedale given an overall "outstanding" rating - which is also given for being caring, responsive and well-led. The ratings for safety and effectiveness are both "good".
The inspectors added: "There were enough staff to safely care for people. Staff felt enabled to deliver person-specific care which enhanced people's quality of life. People found the staff were always available and very attentive."
Manager Jackie Carr added: "I’d like to note that in the report, inspectors accurately highlighted our constant strive for excellence at the home, which is something we are very proud of at Grizedale. During the pandemic, we were fortunate to never experience COVID at the facility but it’s the hard work from all our staff who maintained high safety standards to ensure we never had any cases."
She also thanked the executives at Salutem - which operates the home. Salutem's chief executive John Godden added: "Receiving an Outstanding rating by the CQC is always an amazing achievement and it’s great to see our staff at Grizedale are recognised for their dedicated approach to care."
READ NEXT:
