The Care Quality Commission
  • 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

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

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.

28 January 2019

During a routine inspection

What life is like for people using this service: We were introduced to people throughout our visit and they welcomed us. They were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. The feedback we received from people and relatives was good. Staff we met and spoke with were happy and proud; they were loyal and fully committed and this was reflected in their attitudes and integrity during the inspection. All staff on duty were excited about the inspection and wanted to be part of it.

Satisfaction and views around feeling safe included, “The carers here are very good and I feel very well looked after. There is plenty of staff to look after you here”, “There is always plenty of staff around and I believe my wife is very safe here” and “I feel that all the staff here are great with my father and I feel he is very safe here”.

All staff understood their responsibility to keep people safe from harm. People were supported to take risks and promote their independence. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There was enough staff to safely provide care and support. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability to support people in a care setting. Medicines were well managed and people received their medicines as prescribed. People were protected by the homes infection control policy and procedures. One relative told us, “I visit every day, the place is very clean and tidy and the rooms are spotless”.

The service was effective in meeting people’s needs. One relative told us, “I have no concerns about training of staff who have demonstrated great empathy and are very good at building relationships with residents”. Staff received regular supervision and training. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were provided a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice. One person told us, “The food here really is quite good, not bad at all. They serve nice casseroles which I enjoy and the desserts are things like trifles and fresh fruits”.

Everyone we spoke with agreed that staff were caring and kind. Comments included, “Staff make time to interact, even the non–caring staff such as the handyman and the reception staff. I really like the whole organisation’s approach to care”, “It is different to being in my own home but I like living here because they look after you like family” and “The home offers a good level of care to mum and all of the people here are lovely and look after mum very well”.

Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. There was some lovely work being undertaken by the activity co-ordinators to enhance this knowledge so that people’s life experiences remained meaningful. One person told us, “I particularly enjoy the flower arranging and the Scottish dancing but there are always lots of activities here”. One relative told us, “My father gets on well with the staff here and is always helping out where he can with meals, activities etc and that keeps him busy”. People who lived at Grace Care Centre had access to several lounges and dining areas, a café, a cinema, salon and a large activity room.

The service was responsive to people’s health and social needs. People received person-centred care and support. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals. Where necessary care and support had been changed to accurately reflect people's needs and improve their health and wellbeing. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes.

People benefitted from a service that was well led. One person told us, “The home is very well led I have had no occasion to question anything here”. Everyone demonstrated strong values and, a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service. Good quality assurance systems were in place and based upon regular, scheduled audits, which identified any action required to make improvements. This meant the quality of service people received was monitored on a regular basis and, where shortfalls were identified they were acted upon.

Rating at last inspection: This was the home’s first inspection since their registration in February 2018

About the service: Grace Care Centre is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 51 people. At the time of the inspection there were 23 people living at the service.

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection. All services registered with CQC must have an inspection within the first year of their registration.