Following an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December, the county council’s Inglewood care home has become the first residential home in Cumbria to improve an existing ‘Outstanding’ rating across both Cumbria Care and independent providers.
Run by Cumbria County Council, Inglewood joins only one other ‘Outstanding’ care home in Cumbria and across the country only 1% of care homes are rated this highly, making this a significant achievement for the council and for its staff. They have now achieved outstanding in respect of three of the five main areas which is an improvement on the existing position, from 2017, where they had two of the main areas as outstanding.
The CQC’s inspection team were really pleased with the level of care at Inglewood and commented that it is a well-led service with a commitment to quality and that the staff worked hard to support people to live as independently as possible.
The CQC referred to the care home as being very much a hub of the local community and where people’s needs, and wishes are being met in an exceptional way. End of life care was reported as exceptional, and families felt they were supported at this time. Activities were also outstanding in their far reaching and varied content.
Residents told Inspectors they were always busy and that they had participated in activities that had enhanced their lives. One resident said, “I have been too staid but now I am joining everything.”
Councillor Patricia Bell, Cabinet Member for Health and Care Services, said: “I’d like to say congratulations to everyone involved in the running of Inglewood and in particular our employees who work tirelessly to look after their residents and enrich their lives.
“It’s a huge achievement and a well-deserved acknowledgment of the excellent quality of care that Cumbria Care staff provide.”
For more details, please see the full report which is available on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
