Sevenoaks care home praised by inspectors in latest CQC inspection

 

A national care watchdog has given a Sevenoaks care home its seal of approval, with inspectors commending the home’s warm and friendly atmosphere.  

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has awarded Care UK’s Weald Heights, on Bourchier Close, ‘good’ in all three categories including being safe, effective, caring, well-led and responsive following an unannounced inspection. 

Inspectors praised the home’s person-centred approach to care with the team taking the time to understand residents’ personalities, likes and dislikes and using it to ensure their care is tailored to meet their needs.

Inspectors observed how the lifestyle team creatively met the needs of different residents when arranging activities. For example, trips are arranged based on resident’s individual interests, history and choices. The team also encourage residents to use the home’s ‘wishing tree’, an initiative which encourages residents to make wishes – both big and small – enabling them to reminisce about past hobbies and interests or take on new challenges.  

This included activities such as taking a resident, who was an ex-RAF pilot, to fly in a spitfire, a visit to a school where a resident used to go when they were a child and a trip to a village where a famous author lived as another resident living at the home was a writer.

Relatives also spoke highly of the range of activities residents can get involved in. One commented: “There are wonderful activities arranged every day and great care is taken to look after the individual needs for the wellbeing of each individual resident.”

Another relative spoke of how their family member had been on many trips including to “the local pub, wildlife reserve and the seaside.”

The report also went on to highlight the home’s “eagerness to always learn and improve,” noting that Maria Covington, the Home Manager, continuously uses feedback received to ensure the home provides the best care possible for residents.

Maria was also praised for her innovative improvements to continually improve safety and care provision, in particular the installation of a new motion sensor system. The system provides a 3D model of a resident’s room and alerts the team to which residents need assistance without disturbing call bells ringing. 

Residents spoke highly of the team and how they felt safe. One resident said they are, “very well looked after, I have no worries at all, and I feel completely safe”.

The home recently achieved Veteran Friendly Staus with inspectors praising the strong relationship the home has built with the local British Legion to improve their approach to supporting veterans who live at the home.

Maria Covington, Home Manager at Weald Heights, said: “I am incredibly proud of everyone here at Weald Heights. It’s wonderful to lead such a fantastic, caring, and dedicated team. Our ‘good’ rating is a testament to everyone’s hard work and the superb level of care we provide residents every day. 

“We are committed to ensuring all residents receive a unique and personalised approach to care, in a respectful and loving manner. Our ethos is to help residents to continue to live active and fulfilling lives and this remains at the forefront of everything we do. 

“We are all thrilled to have received this official praise from the national inspectors and look forward to celebrating this fantastic achievement with the residents.”   

To assess service standards at Weald Heights, the CQC inspectors spoke with team members and residents, and their relatives following the inspection. They also reviewed records and procedures already in place at the care home. 

Weald Heights is a purpose-built care home designed to deliver luxury hotel-style comfort for residents, complete with a café, hair and beauty salon, cinema and beautiful gardens. The home is divided into separate residential, nursing and dementia care suites, encouraging close-knit communities where residents can get to know each other, and where people with similar needs can be cared for together.