Bradbury House in Gosforth, Cumbria has been awarded a 3* ’Excellent’ rating by the Care Quality Commission after scoring perfect marks in all seven of the CQC’s judging criteria. 18 -room Bradbury House is not a top flight hotel but a care home! Situated in Lakelands, it is one of over 80 care homes run by Abbeyfield, a nationwide charity providing housing support and care for older people. The houses provide support with companionship and are places where residents can retain their independence and privacy.
The grading was given to Bradbury House after the CQC, a regulatory body set up by the government to measure how well a care home is meeting the needs of the people who use it, paid an unannounced visit. The CQC grading, which is valid for three years, followed a gruelling day-long inspection of Bradbury House by CQC inspectors. The assessment included a thorough review of services, appraisal of files and documents as well as interviews with residents and the staff on duty.
Manager Nicola Hallett joked: “I think we'd easily give the hotels in the area a serious run for their money. We are over the moon with the outcome of the CQC review and our 3* ‘Excellent’ status.” Nicola continued,”These evaluations are notoriously tough, so to get top marks in all seven categories is a major achievement. I’m really proud and would like to say a big thanks to all of the staff and volunteers for their Herculean efforts and the residents for their appreciation.”
The CQC awards 3* ‘Excellent’ ratings to care homes that achieve perfect marks in three of the seven categories judged, and high marks in the other four, so Bradbury House should be viewed as the benchmark for all care homes.
The categories are listed below:
- Choice of home
- Health and personal care
- Daily life and social activities
- Complaints and protection
- Environment
- Staffing