Mountfitchet House care home wins approval of national care inspectors

Home news

Feb 10, 2016

Mountfitchet House care home in Stansted Mountfitchet has been given the seal of approval by a national care watchdog, with relatives and residents praising the home’s caring team members.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) report gave Mountfitchet House a ‘Good’ rating, following an unannounced inspection of the care home, which provides long term and respite residential care, including care for those with nursing needs and those living with dementia.

In order to assess service standards at Mountfitchet House, the CQC’s inspector 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.

The report rated the home ‘outstanding’ for care.   The inspector noted that the team at Mountfitchet House is passionate about making a difference to people’s lives, with residents and their relatives very complimentary about the care they received.  The inspector also observed how residents received person-centred care, with the team at the home understanding their individual likes and dislikes; and the report highlighted how residents valued their relationships with carers and felt they exceeded their expectations.

According to the inspector, the team was always polite and spoke to residents in a respectful way, with residents’ dignity and privacy respected.  Examples included ensuring residents’ private conversations were respected, acknowledging when people want to spend time on their own, and giving people time to consider their own decisions and do things at their own pace.

The inspector’s report commented on the varied activity programme at Mountfitchet House, with the team promoting social inclusion and making every effort to involve residents in as many activities as possible. It was noted how people had the freedom to choose when, where and what they wanted to do, including going to a local pub, garden centre or museum.  One to one time was provided for people cared for in bed.

According to the inspector, the team respected people’s independence when it came to eating and drinking, with some residents supported to eat and drink sufficient quantities.  Everyone was offered a choice of food and drinks – even if they had special dietary needs – and the chef went round every day to check the food was up to the required standard for everyone.

Home manager, Allison Squires, said: “We strive to create a welcoming home from home and I’m so pleased our efforts have been recognised by the CQC’s inspectors.

“Everyone at Mountfitchet House works incredibly hard to support residents with compassionate, person-centred care, and to be rated ‘good’ shows just how committed the team is to making a positive difference to residents’ lives each and every day.

“I’m extremely proud of everybody at the home and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the team for their hard work and dedication, which I know is also greatly appreciated by residents and their families.”