Aranlaw House Care Home in Poole, Dorset was rated outstanding for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), on 19 December 2019, 7 & 8 January 2020.
Aranlaw House Care Home is a purpose-built home that specialises in the care of older people with dementia.
The CQC report highlighted that everyone they spoke with told them there was always more than enough staff on duty whenever they visited the home. Staff also said that staffing levels ensured they could provide good, personalised care to people without rushing.
A health and social care professional said, "One of the things that really stands out with Aranlaw is that they always provide me with a member of staff when I visit to support me with completing assessments and ensuring information is shared effectively. I cannot think of a time when I have ever had to search for a member of staff to help me or answer my questions, someone is always available."
Staff said they received training that was effective and felt sufficiently skilled to carry out their roles. Every member of staff praised the training and said they felt confident, competent and skilled after it. New training in areas including sepsis awareness, oral care, mental health first aid and LGBT+ awareness had been introduced since the last CQC inspection.
A non- denominational chaplain was employed at Aranlaw to provider religious, spiritual and pastoral support to people, visitors and staff. They held regular services within the home which had been specifically adapted to support people living with dementia. They were also able to support people of other faiths and beliefs and was ensuring that one person was receiving support from their local congregation and that any religious observances or special days of celebration were understood by staff and followed.
People looked very relaxed and comfortable around staff. There was a calm, relaxed, friendly atmosphere and staff took time to sit and chat with residents.
Regular meetings were held with the people living in the home to enable them to contribute to the running of the home and raise concerns. Meetings were also held for relatives. Records of the meetings showed that recent topics for discussion had included menu plans, activities and possible outings. Minutes were shared with people who did not attend the meetings and information was also posted on noticeboards.
Comments