The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Field House in Church Stretton, Shropshire as outstanding following an inspection in August.
Field House, run by both Scarborough Hall Limited and Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited under a dual registration, is a residential care home supporting older people, some of whom are living with dementia.
This was the first inspection since the home became dual registered with CQC. It was previously rated good under the Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited registration.
CQC has rated how caring, responsive and well-led the home is as outstanding, and how safe and effective it is as good.
Amanda Lyndon, CQC’s deputy director of adult social care in the west midlands, said:
When we inspected Field House, we found an exceptional service where leaders and staff worked together to create a positive, inclusive culture where people always came first. Staff felt valued, supported and confident to speak up, which helped them provide consistently kind and thoughtful care. The shared values of the team were evident in every interaction we observed.
It was encouraging to see how well staff got to know each person’s history and interests, so care felt personal. Staff took one person to the beach and arranged for relatives to surprise them. They helped another person who loved hosting to organise themed evenings at the home, including Greek nights, which let them keep a role that mattered to them.
The home didn’t use agency staff, and many staff had worked there for years. This meant people knew the staff caring for them, and staff spotted small changes in people’s health early. Leaders checked clinical records daily and quickly called in nurses and GPs when needed. People received treatment in familiar surroundings and avoided unnecessary hospital stays.
The home also kept a close eye on what mattered to each person. When audits showed more falls, leaders analysed the figures, shared learning with staff and asked specialists to talk to residents about reducing their risk. When one person lost weight, the team reviewed their meals straight away and their weight stabilised.
Everyone at Field House should be very proud of this report. We hope other homes will learn from what the team here has achieved.
Inspectors found:
- Staff arranged for one person to visit an RAF base, which helped them reconnect with their career. When another person could no longer get to church, the home streamed services to a quiet lounge, and the church now holds a monthly service at the home.
- The service appointed two residents as ambassadors. They welcomed newcomers and joined interviews for new staff, which gave people a real say in who cared for them.
- The home opened its doors to the community. It offered its premises to one person’s community activity group that had lost its venue, and residents joined arts festivals, school projects and fundraising events, which helped them remain socially active.
- Leaders gave staff training, mentoring and a clear route to progress, as the new manager had started as a care assistant. This kept staff in post and meant people received consistent care.
- Staff supported people at the end of their lives with detailed plans that reflected their wishes. When one person died, the home helped other residents remember them together.