Staff and residents have a lot to celebrate following their CQC inspection.
The inspection took place 10 June 2019.The first day of the inspection was unannounced. Days two and three of the inspection were announced.
The care home in Retford, Nottinghamshire has been rated as outstanding in four out of five categories following the inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The CQC awarded the care home outstanding in the following categories; effective, caring, responsive and well-led, and good for being safe.
Branthwaite Care Home provides accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care withdementia and mental health conditions. Residents are over 65 years. There were 39 people living at the service at the time of the inspection.
The service was also recognised as a leader in dementia care and has achieved the local authority's Dementia Quality Mark accreditation for several years.
One commissioning professional said, "They work with some of the most complex cases that we have in this area. They have the Dementia Quality Mark which we have assessed for as they offer amazing dementia care."
The registered manager and all staff that inspectors spoke towere able to demonstrate extremely caring and patient approaches, to residents requiring skilled and person-centred care.
There were dignity champions in place who promoted the provider's clearly visible approach to maintain people's dignity at all times. They undertook dignity observations underpinned by comprehensive knowledge of people's needs and how they communicated their feelings non-verbally.
The service respected people's final wishes and ensured families were fully involved and respected.
One relative said, "They have been really supportive for everyone involved andthrough all the ethical sides of things."
The service has regard for people's final wishes and how they would like to be remembered. One family donated some money to the resident's fund after a funeral service. The registered manager knew the person had loved all things confectionary-related so used the funds to have a 'sweetshop' mural in their honour in the home.
The service is exceptionally well-led. The registered manager was well respected in the organisation and further afield, for instance at the provider forum meetings, where they were considered a leader in best practice.
They had continued to drive a range of improvements and initiatives which had positive impacts on people's health and wellbeing. They continued to innovate and try to find ways to improve people's experience of care.
The desire to continue improving was driven by a passion to provide the highest standards of care to people.
Throughout the inspection people who used the service, relatives and external professionals gave examples of how the care at Branthwaite had exceeded their expectations.
One relative said, "We have very high standards and didn't think we'd find somewhere that could match those – we were wrong."
Another highlighted, "They always go above and beyond, they aren't really staff but family."
Feedback specifically about the registered manager was exceptional.
A relative said, “I can’t fault them in any way, they are always supportive and keep in touch. Nothing is too much trouble."
