National care inspectors praise Hammersmith care home

Home news

Feb 20, 2020

A national care watchdog has given a Hammersmith care home its seal of approval, with relatives and residents praising the caring and attentive team members.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) report gave Care UK’s St Vincent’s House, on Queen Caroline Street, an overall ‘Good’ rating, following an unannounced inspection.

Considered to be one of the main catalysts for positive changes, the report highlighted the impact the home’s new manager, Christine Hanwell, has had since she started less than a year ago. Described as positive, with a clear sense of priorities, inspectors praised the changes she has implemented at the home, promoting an open culture and organising weekly forums for residents and their relatives. A family member said: “This manager is amazing. She listens.”

Inspectors were impressed with the range of activities on offer, from exercise classes and movie nights, to reminiscence sessions and seasonal events. The programme was established using the residents’ life story books, which compile their likes, past hobbies and wishes, and these highlighted the home’s emphasis on ‘getting to know the whole person’, rather than just their care needs.

Inspectors also noted that the home has lifelike dolls in vintage cots and prams to help residents living with dementia to express their nurturing side while reminiscing, along with pet birds and robotic animals for residents to interact with.

The report praised the design of St Vincent’s House and its dementia-friendly environment. For example, the home has memory boxes located next to every resident’s room, featuring personal items and mementos, as well as decorative features to help distinguish the different floors and areas, making it easier for residents living with dementia to orientate themselves independently.   

At the time of inspection, the home’s kitchen area had also been completely refurbished, with a new catering team in place, allowing all food, including fresh pastries, to be prepared on site. Using the new equipment, there are also plans in place to start promoting activities based around food, including baking and jam making.

Christine Hanwell, home manager at St Vincent’s House, said: “Everyone has put in a lot of hard work to ensure we offer a comfortable home to all residents and their families, and the whole team is really proud of our achievements.

“Receiving a ‘Good’ rating shows just how dedicated the team is to looking after every individual’s needs, and we will continue our hard work to ensure residents receive compassionate, person-centred care. I am incredibly proud of the home’s journey over the past year, and would like to say thank you to the team for their dedication, which I know is also greatly appreciated by residents and their families.”

To assess service standards at St Vincent’s House, the CQC inspectors spoke with team members, residents, and their visiting relatives on the day of the inspection. They also reviewed the records and procedures already in place at the care home.

St Vincent’s House has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care.

For more information about St Vincent’s House, please call home manager, Christine Hanwell, on 0333 4343 071, or email christine.hanwell@careuk.com

For more general information, please go to careuk.com/st-vincents-house