'Amazing' staff at Daventry care home praised by boss after glowing watchdog inspection report

Staff at a care home in Daventry have been praised by their boss after a glowing inspection report by the healthcare watchdog.

Longlands Care Home was rated as 'good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an unannounced visit in early March - before the coronavirus lockdown.

Mike Smith, chief executive at Shaw Healthcare, which runs the London Road care home, thanked staff for their hard work at such a challenging time.

“We are all very proud of the team at Longlands for achieving the ‘good’ CQC status," he said.

"This is a very difficult time for everyone in the care industry at the moment and this achievement is testament of our amazing employees rising to the occasion and delivering first class care to the most vulnerable in our communities."

Longlands Care Home provides personal and nursing care for up to 51 people in one purpose-built facility - at the time of inspection, 43 people were using the service.

According to the CQC's report, residents and their relatives were involved in the planning and delivery of their care and were regularly asked for feedback which was acted upon appropriately.

Residents were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests, the report says.

"People received warm, competent care and support and relatives spoke positively about staff and management," the report, published on April 14, says.

"People felt safe and they were protected by staff who understood their responsibilities and how to keep people safe."

The CQC said staff were well trained and understood the needs of the people they supported, encouraging a relaxed atmosphere with good, caring relationships.

"People took part in extensive activities they enjoyed. Visitors were welcomed. The home had good relationships with health and social care professionals," the report adds.

"People had a healthy, varied diet and ate food they enjoyed. There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service.

"When there were problems, the registered manager dealt with them appropriately and worked to reduce the likelihood of recurrence."

The London Road nursing home maintained its overall mark from its last inspection in 2017 and improved in the 'caring' category to be rated as 'good' in every section.