A CARE home in Shinfield has been given high praise for 'empowering residents to be independent by the national care watchdog.

The registered manager of Parson's Grange care home in Westall Street was seen as "compassionate" and responded to people's wishes well, a particular highlight when the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out their visit on November 19, 2021.

Claire Usher, customer relations manager at Parsons Grange, said: “We are thrilled to receive this Good CQC rating.

“It's wonderful to see the encouraging remarks from the CQC inspectors; it is a real tribute to the team's dedication and commitment to continuing to deliver individualised, high-quality care while adjusting to the changing restrictions of the pandemic.

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“I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation to everyone at Parsons Grange for their dedication, especially over the last 24 months. They are the reason that our care home is such a wonderful environment for all of the residents to live, and I appreciate all they do on a daily basis.”

Parson's Grange received a 'Good' rating in all four areas of the latest inspection, including 'is the facility a responsive service and is the service effective, caring and safe.

However, inspectors noted that improvements need to be made with management.

The report found: "Access to the registered manager, communication from staff members, involvement and responsiveness to concerns were listed as areas for improvement

"When asked about engagement with the management and service, relatives expressed dissatisfaction. Comments included, "They used to hold group Zoom [online video] meetings for relatives. It was held during the day and you were able to ask questions to the manager. They haven't held any though since July [2021]" and "The Zoom group meetings weren't very useful and not handled well."

Despite this, staff were praised for treating residents kindly and residents "responded to the team with smiles."

The lifestyle activities creative was also praised in the report, with many residents taking part in activities such as Namaste sessions andn organise birds of prey visit to the home.

The CQC report also shows how residents’ "independence was encouraged, promoted and maintained. They wore clothing they had chosen or that staff felt people liked and looked good in.

The report said: "We observed some compassionate and caring interactions between the staff and people. The impact these kind interactions had on the people could be seen on their faces as they responded to staff with smiles.

"The staff were able to anticipate the needs of the people to ensure timely and effective interventions.

"During the pandemic and lockdowns, the service demonstrated they worked effectively with stakeholders.Staff liaised with health protection teams, the local authority, commissioners and Public Health England when there were suspected or actual cases of COVID-19. This ensured the safety of people, relatives and staff."