• Care Home
  • Care home

Grace Care Centre

Overall: Outstanding read more about inspection ratings

Whitebridge Gardens, Thornbury, Bristol, Avon, BS35 2FR 07824 695098

Provided and run by:
The Orders Of St. John Care Trust

Latest inspection summary

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Our current view of the service

Outstanding

Updated 30 November 2025

Date of Assessment: 11 December to 22 December 2025.

Grace Care Centre is a care home which provides care for up to 51 to older people, with some who live with dementia. The assessment included 1 visit to the service by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. A second visit was carried out by 2 inspectors.

We previously rated this service good. At this assessment we looked at all 33 quality statements and rated the service outstanding. A registered manager was in post who was supported by the deputy manager. At the time of our assessment 36 people were living at the service. The service is set over two floors, with the upper floor, providing support for people living with dementia or higher levels of support needs. Each floor had a spacious dining room and lounges available for people to relax. A bistro with tables and chairs was one of the centre points of the service, where people met with friends, family and staff throughout the day.

Care provided to people was exceptionally person-centred and promoted people’s strengths, independence and rights. The had a positive impact on people, who were encouraged to live freely and fulfil goals. People were supported to have the upmost choice and were involved to make decisions regarding their care. Treating people with dignity, respect and person-centred care was at the very heart of the service. Staff were attentive, considerate and caring. They took pride in providing a high level of person-centred care to people. Staff were committed to working collaboratively with people to shape both their care and the service to flexibly meet their needs.Managers and staff had an excellent understanding of people’s backgrounds, needs and preferences and celebrated people’s strengths. There was a very strong and passionate leadership, which placed people’s care at the centre of the service. The management team and provider had an inclusive approach, driven by wanting to provide exceptional care to people. The shared culture of the staff team was based on transparency, diversity and inclusion. This was due to the strong ethos and values of the leadership and staff team.

People felt safe living at the service and risks to people had been reduced. The staff team were keen to support people to overcome any obstacles in their care. The service had a caring team of staff, who supported each other. A team of volunteers supported people and the day to day running of the service. The provider employed activity staff and a dementia lead, to help enhance people’s lives. Staff had been safely recruited with pre-employment checks being completed.

Robust governance systems were in place at both service and provider level. The oversight of these systems helped to ensure, a high level of quality of care was given to people, with any shortfall identified and actioned. The service had strong links with the local community and were a hub, within the local area, where people could visit and receive advice and support.

People's experience of the service

Updated 30 November 2025

People, relatives and volunteers gave exceptional feedback about the service overall. They considered the care provided to them was compassionate, kind, caring and person centred. One person told us, “I have no words to describe the level of care I received. It is beyond my expectations. The staff are so very kind.” People felt safe living at the service, with their independence promoted with positive risk taking. People were supported to engage in hobbies and interests, with a range of meaningful activities and events available. This promoted their emotional and physical wellbeing. Our observations confirmed that people were cared for by a dedicated team of staff, who supported them with warmth, empathy and compassion.

People confirmed they were involved in the assessment process, prior to moving to the service. One relative told us of the overwhelming positive experience they had. They told us, “They could not have done any better. From the start they have really supported us as a family and mum. They encourage us to make the room person centred and communication has been good.”

People were happy with the food choices available to them and were encouraged to make suggestions. Our observations confirmed mealtimes were a positive, calm and sociable experience. Where people did not like the main menu choices, alternatives were offered to encourage people to eat. People were supportive of the management team, and we observed people and relatives approaching the registered manager, deputy and the operations manager. We observed some people, entered the manager’s office for a general chat during both days.