Cardiff care home rated ‘excellent’ by national care inspector

 

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

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) has awarded Care UK’s Llys Cyncoed, on Cyncoed Road, an ‘excellent’ silent rating* across all domains following an unannounced inspection. 

Residents and their families are extremely complimentary about the care home, “I love being here”, “Its excellent living here”, and “it’s a fantastic place to live”. Inspectors found many examples of residents achieving improved wellbeing because of moving into the care home 

The home was recognised for promoting equality and diversity. Inspectors were particularly impressed with how they met residents’ language requirements and cultural needs. They have Welsh-speaking team members who can be easily identified with badges. There are events to celebrate Welsh culture and a range of activities delivered in Welsh as well as signs and documents, including the daily menu which is both in English and Welsh. 

The report also noted how the home has built meaningful relationships between the residents, their relatives and team members. One person described their relative as “not just a resident...a person loved and cared for by everyone that works here.”

Visiting is unrestricted and residents' relatives are encouraged to join meal times in the dining room and those who live further away are supported to keep in contact through video calls.

Inspectors praised the home for its range of activities that are catered to all the residents. The report highlighted the use of therapeutic massage therapy called Namaste which supports residents to receive one-to-one focused activity on a regular basis.

Residents are supported to be part of their local community, with day trips, weekly and daily activity programmes that are action packed and individually tailored. Inspectors saw a variety of activities, birthday celebrations and themed decorations and menus during the visit. Many residents told inspectors they thoroughly enjoyed watching a performance by children who visited during the morning from a local school and were looking forward to the singer and performance later in the afternoon.

The report noted the range of facilities available within the home, including a hair salon, a pub and various garden areas including grow your own herbs and water features. On the first and second floors there are balcony areas which are made safe and secure for residents to enjoy a scenic view of the gardens. Residents can also enjoy a low-lit, sensory relaxation room for holistic related therapies.

Inspectors were impressed with leadership in the home noting the ‘supportive culture’. Open communication is encouraged between management and the other team members creating a positive culture for everyone working at the care home. A team member added: “The teamwork in the home is excellent and staff are passionate about their roles. I feel part of a high-quality care home that gives exceptional care and dignity to each resident... Support from management is exceptional.”

Virgil Frincu, General Manager at Llys Cyncoed, said: “I am incredibly proud of the team here at Llys Cyncoed. It’s a joy to lead such a caring and determined team.  

“Our rating is testament to everyone’s hard work and the high-quality care we provide for residents each and every day. We are committed to ensuring all residents receive a personalised and tailored approach to care, in a dignified, professional and caring manner.  

“We are all thrilled to have received an excellent rating from the national inspectors and look forward to celebrating with the residents very soon.”   

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Llys Cyncoed incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

* The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) introduced silent ratings in April 2023 as part of a pilot phase to test its new rating system for care homes and domiciliary support services. During this phase, ratings are not published or shared in inspection reports, and are instead referred to as "silent ratings".