The Royal Star & Garter Homes in Solihull, West Midlands, was rated outstanding for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), on 8 & 9 January 2020.
The best possible CQC scores.
The Royal Star & Garter is a care home providing personal and nursing care to people aged 65 and over. Some of those people lived with dementia.
Residents and relatives described the support received to maintain healthy skin as 'exceptional'. One relative explained their family members quality of life had greatly improved due to staff's dedication and perseverance. This was because nurses had used a variety of interventions over a 12-month period to heal a skin wound. They added, "We had been told by doctors the wound would never heal." This demonstrated the providers star quality of 'commitment to providing excellent nursing care' was achieved.
People living with dementia received excellent care. Staff completed 'creative dementia' training to increase their understanding of the condition. This included the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) that provided an experience of what living with dementia might be like.
A staff member explained how this training had helped them. They said, "It was invaluable. I have a greater understanding of how people see the world around them. I am confident I can meet their needs because I understand."
Both residents and relatives confirmed that the quality of care provided exceeded their expectations. Comments included, "The care here is outstanding as always. Everything about the place is wonderful but it's the commitment from staff that make this place home." And, "I am exceptionally well looked after. Staff are amazingly kind, they love me." A health professional said, "People get truly exceptional care."
The attention given to people's individual wishes and needs showed how exceptional staff were at going above and beyond what was expected of them. It was very important to one person to tend to the grave of someone special and they had chosen a member of non-care staff to support them to do this. The staff member said, "I always make myself available as it's an honour to be involved. By sharing the experience our friendship has grown."
The Royal Star & Garter is a charity that was established in 1916 to provide care to military veterans.
Comments from staff included, "It's all about the people. They get amazing care." and, "The training we had really drummed into us what person-centred care look and feels like." A relative commented, "It's hard to improve on perfect. Communication and organisation are first class."
Comments