Staff and residents at St Bartholomew’s Court, a Sanctuary Retirement Living service in Rye, are celebrating after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated it good across the board.
The service, which has retirement apartments with communal facilities and an onsite care and support team, was inspected by the CQC and rated good in five key areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, which contributed to the overall rating of good.
The report noted that staff had positive relationships with residents and treated them with “dignity and respect”. One resident told the inspector: “Staff are very good. Their attitude, their humanity, they care, and you feel that they care.” Another added, “They do everything they can to make us happy. I don’t want to live anywhere else.”
The inspector reported that residents were “treated with kindness and care”, and that their independence was always promoted. This included an investment in Raizer chair technology, which enables staff to safely lift a person in minutes if they fall, and avoid the need to call paramedics. One member of staff told the inspector that the ethos of the service was, “keeping people as independent as possible, giving care to those that need it.”
The report stated that residents were “supported and encouraged to live healthier lives”, thanks to timely care and support from the onsite team. Staff arranged for some healthcare services, such as opticians, to visit, and they also established a “health hub” drop-in so residents can monitor their health without needing to travel.
The wellbeing and inclusion team were noted in the report for leading a wide variety of activities, including group sessions and spending one-to-one time with residents. Regular activities involving the local community have played a big part in St Bartholomew’s Court’s success, including visits from schoolchildren, and craft sessions with a scout group. One resident told the CQC inspector, “it is always nice to spend time with the children. It makes us all feel young again.”
The glowing CQC report follows St Bartholomew’s Court’s success at the 2019-20 Great British Care Awards, where they won the Housing with Care Award for the South East region. They will attend the national finals later in the year.
Katalina Ross, registered retirement living manager, said: “All of the team here at St Bartholomew’s Court work hard to ensure our residents feel safe, happy and able to live their lives as independently as possible. I’m so proud of them and so pleased to have so many lovely comments from residents and their families, as well as the CQC.”
Source: Sanctuary Group
Image Credits: Sanctuary Group .