‘Outstanding’ rating for Keynsham care home following CQC inspection

St Monica Trust’s care home in Keynsham has been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Staff and residents celebrating the CQC rating | Photo © Freia Turland

Charterhouse, which is run by the Bristol-based charity, earned the rating following an unannounced inspection in April this year. The report has now been published.

The 93-bed care home is based at The Chocolate Quarter retirement village and offers residential care and specialist care for people with general nursing needs or who are living with dementia. It also offers respite and rehabilitation services.

Out of the five key lines that the CQC inspected – well led and caring were rated as Outstanding, while safe, effective and responsive were all rated as Good.

Only 3% of care homes in the UK are rated as Outstanding and two of the St Monica Trust’s four care homes have now achieved the highest rating, with John Wills House at Westbury-on-Trym being the other.

The CQC inspection highlighted Charterhouse’s “strong, values-led culture across the service, where people were treated as individuals by staff who were committed to maximising their quality of life,” adding that the compassionate care was made possible because leaders had embedded their values of connection, contribution and choice throughout the service.

Charterhouse’s general manager Gail Stone said: “The aim of every single member of the Charterhouse team is to give our residents the best day they can have, every day.

“Delivering great care to our residents on a daily basis and always questioning how we can do things better has become the norm at Charterhouse, so this recognition from the CQC is a welcome reminder to the whole team that what they provide here is truly exceptional.”

The inspectors said residents and relatives “consistently told us the registered manager and staff were excellent,” and that “the home was exceptionally well run”.

Residents and relatives also spoke highly of the caring culture and responsiveness of staff.

The inspectors observed how people benefited from a range of on-site facilities and activities, including a swimming pool, gym, and regularly organised pop-up events in the reception area, such as markets, crafts and entertainment, and how they were encouraged and supported to contribute in meaningful and valued ways, promoting their independence and choice of social inclusion.

The home’s commitment to embracing and co-developing innovative technology with residents, such as tracking the quality of people’s sleep to detect potential health conditions and AI ‘smart socks’ to monitor vital signs and movement, was also praised.