A Merseyside care home which provides residential accommodation for people with mental health issues and dementia has received a glowing Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.
Sherdley Court in Rainhill, which is managed by national social care charity Making Space, received ‘good’ ratings in every area measured by the CQC, the independent regulator of health and social care. The report, which was produced after an unannounced inspection in March, singled out the home’s “warm and homely atmosphere” and noted “friendly and relaxed” staff had plenty of time to interact with residents.
The 25-bed facility is managed by Hayley Rowson de Vares, who believes passionately that people should be supported to maintain their independence in a safe and homely environment if they require residential care.
“We conduct a comprehensive pre-admission assessment and involve the person, their family and advocates in the initial assessment,” she explains. “We look at their needs on admission and assess how we can best meet them in a holistic way. We record as much information as possible and discuss their history, previous careers, hobbies, personal likes and dislikes. We are then able to plan individualised, person-centred care ensuring that each resident feels emotionally and mentally supported and empowered.”
According to the CQC, this approach is paying dividends. The report quoted one resident as saying: “I love living at Sherdley Court. I have all my friends here who are residents and staff. I know I am in the best place in the world to be well cared for by people who love me and know me well.”
The approach taken by Hayley and the team at Sherdley Court is so successful, several residents have improved to the extent that they have been able to return to independent living. There are also residents who have been diagnosed with terminal illness but have been able to retain independence and a live a full and active life with effective advanced care planning.
But, insists Hayley, there’s nothing that the team at Sherdley Court do that can’t be done elsewhere. “It’s a simple case of making sure you hire the right people with the ‘Six Cs’ – care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment – and have the processes in place to support them to do an effective job” she says.
“We have our own ongoing training and development programme at Sherdley Court, but we make sure the people we recruit have the right attitude and values. We want to support the people who live at Sherdley Court to achieve fulfilling lives, and we make sure the whole team shares the same goal.”
Sherdley Court achieved a Commended rating in the Gold Standards Framework, an independent organisation which monitors the quality of end of life care. The accreditation requires constant improvement and homes are monitored regularly to ensure they meet the required standards
