A national care watchdog has given a Sutton Coldfield care home its seal of approval, with relatives and residents praising its kind and compassionate team members.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) report gave Care UK’s Mercia Grange, on Lichfield Road, an overall ‘Outstanding’ rating, which is the highest possible result, following an unannounced inspection.

The care home received ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ ratings across the five categories of safety, effectiveness, level of care, responsiveness and leadership.

Inspectors commended the exceptionally homely environment Mercia Grange provides for residents, and its caring, compassionate, respectful and empowering culture.

Maggie Hannelly, CQC Head of Inspection for Adult Social Care in the central region, said: “Our inspection team was very impressed by the level of support offered at Mercia Grange care home. People and relatives provided consistently positive feedback about the care, staff and management at this home. They told us about the high level of care delivered and the positive changes this made to people’s lives.

“Without exception, people and families told us living at Mercia Grange had been the right decision, and that their quality of life had been enhanced.”

Inspectors commended the broad provision of activities and entertainment organised for the residents, including visiting football matches, enjoying afternoon tea dances, pet therapy sessions and being involved in interest groups such as gardening and cooking. On one occasion, a person from the local community even visited the care home with their classic motorcycle for the benefit of residents who had an interest in bikes.

The report noted that residents receive personalised care from team members who know them well, and engage with them at every opportunity. Each resident has their life history recorded, and team members use this information to get to know residents and build positive relationships with them.

The report also stated that residents are supported and treated with dignity and respect, with team members offering care which is compassionate and kind. One resident said: “[The team] are so good and friendly”.

Commenting on the rating, Mercia Grange home manager, Shirley Gibbs, said: “It’s a real achievement to be awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating on our first CQC inspection, and we are absolutely delighted with the result. Everyone here works incredibly hard to provide residents with compassionate, person-centred care, and I’m delighted that our efforts have been recognised.

“We are particularly passionate about working closely with our local community, to bring enjoyment to the lives of our team and residents, which we are thrilled the inspectors noted in their report.

“I’m extremely proud of everyone here and would like to say thank you for their hard work and dedication, which I know is also greatly appreciated by residents and their families.”

In addition, the report commended the management of the care home and the support provided to team members, which reinforces person-centred values and a strong commitment to promoting independence and social inclusion.

Inspectors remarked that the dementia suite at Mercia Grange has been designed to greatly enhance the quality of life for people living with dementia. For example, people's rooms have a ‘front door’, all in individual vibrant colours to support identification. Each room has memory boxes, containing pictures or personal artefacts which residents can identify with.

The inspectors reported that residents are supported to remain as independent as possible and are encouraged to do as much for themselves for as long as possible.

Residents also commented on how they felt safe at Mercia Grange, with one resident saying: “I feel very safe living here. Why wouldn't you be?" and a relative added: "We have complete peace of mind”.

It was also noted that there was a strong emphasis on the importance of eating and drinking well, where residents are supported to maintain a balanced diet. One resident commented: "[The food here is] very good; we always get asked if we have had enough or want more. We get plenty to eat."

There is a café area for residents and visitors to use throughout the day, to either have a drink, meet with families and friends, or use as a social area, where they can access hot and cold drinks, pastries, cakes and fresh fruit. One family member explained: "[It is] just a lovely place to get together. We love meeting [relative] here when we visit, because it's so social. We have got to know so many people here".

To assess service standards at Mercia Grange, the CQC’s inspector spoke with team members, residents and their visiting relatives during the inspection. They also reviewed the records and procedures already in place at the care home.

Mercia Grange is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia, and short-term respite care. The three-storey care home, which features 67 ensuite bedrooms, has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities, and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.

For more information, email customer relations manager, Rachel MacKay, at rachel.mackay@careuk.com, or call 0121 314 3196.

For more general information, please visit: careuk.com/mercia-grange

Issued for & on behalf of Care UK by WPR