Heywood Court Care Home rated as “good” by Care Quality Commission

Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe

Heywood Court Care Home

Heywood Court Care Home has been rated as ‘good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission.

Following an unannounced CQC inspection, Heywood Court Care Home was also rated as good against the core criteria of being effective, caring, responsive to residents’ needs and well led.

The inspectors said that the atmosphere in the home was relaxed and happy and the care team were kind and sensitive in their interactions with residents. They saw a number of occasions when members of the care team were singing and dancing with people.

The care team’s approach was calm, sensitive and respectful and they valued people.

Residents told the inspectors: “I think it is great here. If you are down they really cheer you up.” “The staff are very nice; very caring.”

Comments from relatives included: “It’s a cracking place and you cannot ask for better staff.”

People living at Heywood Court receive effective support from a trained and skilled care team who know them. Their care plans record information about their care and support requirements and their life history, so they receive support that is individualised to their personal needs and preferences.

The home has recently been awarded the Four Seasons Health Care Dementia Framework accreditation.

The Dementia Care Framework is the company’s new generation of dementia care. It builds on established best practice and uses advanced technology to support care teams to create an up to date picture of each resident’s physical, psychological and emotional condition and their day to day experience, so that care can be adjusted to their changing needs. Training for all staff includes an experience that simulates what it is like to live with dementia to increase their understanding of the condition and empathy for people living with it.

The inspectors commented that the lunch time meal service was a relaxed occasion, with music playing and a warm friendly atmosphere with chatter and laughter between residents and staff.

The cook explained that people’s personal food preferences are written into their profiles and kept up to date on a memory board in the kitchen, so at all mealtimes residents are offered menu choices of foods that they liked.

Rachael Junge, Regional Managing Director for Four Seasons Health Care, said: “It’s a credit to the dedication of the care team that the CQC has rated the home as good. It is also heartening to see the very positive comments by residents and their relatives and to know the team is so well appreciated.”