A north Shropshire care home has become one of only a few in the county to be awarded a rare ‘outstanding’ rating by independent watchdogs.
Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission praised staff at Woodcroft in Market Drayton for their “exceptional service” and how they respected and valued residents and empowered them to get involved in their care following the unannounced visit last month.
The 50-bed home caters for older people and those with dementia in long term residential or respite care. It underwent an inspection by a CQC team on February 22 and was marked against five categories to assess whether it was caring, responsive, safe, effective and well led, receiving an overall outstanding recommendation.
Woodcroft in Croft Way is run by the not-for-profit organisation Coverage Care, Shropshire’s largest independent care provider. So far in 2019, inspections of two other Coverage Care homes – New Fairholme in Oswestry, and Briarfields in Shrewsbury – have resulted in ‘good’ ratings.
The inspection team questioned 11 residents, seven relatives, and staff including managers and carers and reviewed medical and care records as well as staff files to make its assessment.
The official report said services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care while the home’s leaders and the service culture they created “drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care”.
It added: “The service provided outstanding care and emotional support to people living in the home. Staff demonstrated a real empathy for the people they cared for.
“The service’s visions and values promoted people’s rights to make choices and live a dignified and fulfilled life, this was reflected in the care and support that people received.
“Without exception people, their relatives and professionals told us they experienced compassionate care from staff. This ensured the service was run in the best interest of people who used the service.”
David Coull, Chief Executive of Coverage Care, said: “This is a superb report that has reinforced the incredible work that is being done by the team at Woodcroft.
“Every single aspect of the service provided at Woodcroft has been examined and adapted to deliver the best outcomes for the residents and this has been reflected in the outstanding rating. We are very proud of the team at Woodcroft and will be using their experience as examples of best practice across our network of homes.”
Woodcroft Manager Kelly Lowry, who was noted in the report for her “exceptional leadership qualities, drive and enthusiasm”, added: “Our aim is to deliver a home from home environment where residents are respected and receive the highest standard of care possible.
“One of the most gratifying things to read in this report were comments from inspectors, the residents and relatives about the compassion of our team. We are delighted to be one of just a few ‘outstanding’ homes in Shropshire and will carry on working hard to deliver the best care.”
The full report can be viewed at www.cqc.org.uk.
