A care home in Hull has become one of only eight establishments in England to get a perfect rating from the independent regulator of health and social care in England, as its operator, MHA celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Willersley House Care Home in Willerby near Hull has been judged to be ‘outstanding’ in all five categories considered by the Care Quality Commission. MHA runs a further three care homes judged to be ‘outstanding’ overall, but Willersley House is the first MHA home to achieve ‘outstanding’ in all five individual categories. Of the 11,783 premises in the country inspected by the CQC, just 0.07 per cent are rated ‘outstanding’ in all five categories.
In the CQC report, the home, which cares for 34 people, is commended for the quality and consistency of its staff. In a sector where agency staff are increasingly used, Willersley House has not needed any for over 18 years and maintains an employment level of 110 per cent to make sure staff training and leave don’t affect the care provided. The manager, Laura Barnsley, and her team are described as ‘passionately caring and supportive’ as well as ‘highly skilled and competent’.
Other ‘outstanding’ factors highlighted include:
• residents are actively involved in decisions about care, meals, activities and even staff appointments
• the head chef, Jane Williams, is one of the best in the organisation and has become a ‘chef coach’ to share her skills with other MHA homes
• residents are supported to take ‘positive risks’, such as attending events outside the home, to maintain their independence
• residents’ medical details are recorded in a ‘hospital passport’ to make sure vital information is shared quickly with health services
• no resident has ever developed a pressure sore in the home or been admitted to hospital with dehydration, both common problems in care homes
• residents of eight different religions are all supported in their faith, and diversity is actively promoted
• all the families of residents and staff are invited to Christmas lunch to create a warm, homely atmosphere
• members of staff continuously go above and beyond expectations.
Manager Laura Barnsley says, “We run our home very much to meet the individual needs and preferences of the people living here, including what they like to eat, how independent they want to be and their medical requirements. We constantly anticipate residents’ changing requirements and look for creative ways to make life even better for them. We encourage everyone who lives, works or visits here to let us know if something is wrong or could be done better and we all discuss issues and problems to see what we can learn from them.
“As the home manager, I feel very blessed to have such a fantastic staff team, and this successful outcome is the result of their hard work and dedication. I would like to thank my team sincerely for being true professionals and an inspiration to us all.”
Sophie Moody, deputy home manager, says, “I would also like to thank all our fantastic members of staff for their hard work and commitment to the home, along with the 12 dedicated volunteers who put so much time and effort into helping run our activities programme. They should all be very proud of themselves.”
MHA regional director Jasbir Singh says, “The CQC has, rightly, identified that the whole team that works at Willersley House is what makes it such an amazing place to live. As the report says, Laura leads by example and is an excellent role model for her team and the wider organisation.
“People from some of our other homes have already visited Willersley House to see how they do things and we will now be sharing this report across MHA so that all our homes - the vast majority of which are also ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ - can see what they can learn from it. MHA has 75 years of experience of providing high-quality, innovative care, so this report is just one of the many achievements we have to celebrate this year.”
Resident Pamela Wilde (80) says, “We’re one big, happy family here. The staff always have time to talk to you and I know that I am listened to and respected. They really put themselves out and I feel looked after and cared for, but I'm an independent person; they haven't taken that away. I am so happy to have found the right home.”
