Outstanding rating for Leighton Buzzard homecare service provider
A homecare service provider in Leighton Buzzard is celebrating after being upgraded from a Good rating to Outstanding.
It follows an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which visited 1st Homecare Solutions Ltd in Leighton Buzzard in September.
The 1st Homecare Solutions Group is a homecare service which provides personal and social care to people living in their own home, across Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
CQC rated the company’s Leighton Buzzard branch as Outstanding in the Caring category, which improves from a Good rating. The Safe category was re-rated as Good and Responsive was re-rated as Outstanding. Effective and Well-led categories were not inspected on this occasion so retain their previous ratings of Good.
John Rennison, chief executive of the 1st Homecare Solutions Group, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been awarded this rating, only given to three percent of all homecare providers in England – a testament to the amazing care provided by the team. Both I and my fellow director Annabella Rennison are extremely proud of all our carers, our managers and the office team for achieving this.”
Stuart Dunn, CQC’s deputy director for the East of England, said: “When we inspected 1st Homecare Solutions, we found staff went above and beyond to care for people, treating them with kindness, compassion and empathy to ensure their needs were identified and met.
“We found staff supported people to manage their day-to-day lives, and they regularly went above and beyond people’s planned arrangements and expectations when providing care. Thanks to their efforts, people either maintained or increased their independence and were able to stay in their own homes.
“It was clear that staff went the extra mile to ensure people were involved in their care, actively listening to those who might experience inequality in their care experience or outcomes. We saw staff help a person who was unable to communicate verbally use a whiteboard to make their own decisions, when it became clear relatives were talking for them instead.
“When people needed help, staff responded quickly and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. When one person fell ill, staff contacted their GP to arrange a visit, preventing the person from going into hospital.
“The service also recognised that using technology was vital for some people to maintain contact with family and friends, but some found it difficult to use and understand. One staff member was happy to support people using the service if they needed support with technology.
“Overall, the care people received from1st Homecare Solutions exceeded expectations and both staff and managers should be incredibly proud of the service and the factors that have led to it becoming outstanding.”
Full details of the inspection can be found on the CQC’s website.