A CARE home run by the Royal British Legion in Southam has been rated outstanding.
Galanos House, which currently cares for 97 members of the armed forced community, was praised by the Care Quality Commission as being “effective, responsive, well-led and safe” during a recent inspection.
Amanda Lyndon, CQC’s deputy director for the Midlands, said: “When we inspected Galanos House, we found a positive culture which allowed people to live full, rich and active lives.
“It was wonderful to see how staff brought fun and laughter into the home and enabled people to remain active members of the local community, taking part in events and meeting up with friends and family. People were encouraged to take positive risks to maintain hobbies and activities they enjoyed in the past, helping them live with as few restrictions as possible.
“Relatives unanimously described staff as immensely kind, caring, friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere inside the home was warm and people told us they valued the friendships they’d made with other people and with staff.”
Ms Lyndon continued that people said they felt safe living in the home. Staff were aware of any subtle changes in people’s behaviours which showed they were worried or anxious and would report any concerns to their line manager.
Staff also recognised the importance of independence, choice and control in ensuring people had a good day. They supported people to maintain independence in some aspects of their care if they wanted to, such as being able to manage their own medicines. People were also given complete choice and control of their own personal space.
Staff were supported by a team of over 50 volunteers who had the same training and recruitment checks so they could engage with people safely.
Ms Lyndon added: “Overall, staff and managers should be incredibly proud of the care they provide at Galanos House and the positive outcomes this has on the people they look after.”
The report will be published on CQC’s website.
