Sevenoaks care home celebrates ‘outstanding’ rating by inspectors

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

The Care Quality Commission awarded Care UK’s Weald Heights, on Bourchier Close, an overall ‘outstanding’ rating following its latest inspection. 

Inspectors praised the home’s person-centred approach to care, with team members taking the time to meet each resident’s unique needs and preferences with a focus on maintaining dignity and autonomy. 

One example of this is the attention to residents' religious needs and preferences, allowing adjustments to be made before they move into the home.

One of the relatives spoke highly of the introduction process, saying: “We loved it. Staff talked to us when we were here and asked about Mum and what help she needed.”

The Head Chef was also praised by inspectors for their knowledge surrounding dietary requirements, including allergies and preferences. Those at risk of choking or malnutrition are further supported and referred to speech and language therapists for assistance with swallowing. 

The report highlighted the team's commitment to person-centred support through activities that draw on residents' strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds. One way this is practised is through the Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to write down their wishes to try something new or that reconnect them to their past. This has included activities such as taking an ex-RAF pilot to fly in a Spitfire, a resident to their former school and a writer to a village where a famous author lived.

Residents and their relatives are complimentary of team members. One relative said: “They are lovely, very friendly and kind. They would do anything for you. They all make sure that they know your name and always say hello.”

In addition to creating memorable and fulfilling moments, the team uses its understanding of residents' backgrounds to calm their anxiety and irregular behaviours. For example, an office space was created for a resident living with dementia who had worked in business for a large portion of her life. The team built on conversations with the resident and her past, along with an analysis of her dementia, to create a space where she feels in control of her environment.

Her relative said: “They know [resident] exceptionally well, understand what she needs and deliver this brilliantly.”

The home was praised for its connection to the community, particularly the armed forces, with talks, visits from the cadets, and veteran tea parties often being arranged. This helped them to achieve the Veteran Friendly Framework accreditation. 

Maria Covington, Home Manager at Weald Heights, said: “We’ve been working towards this for so long, as we wanted to be known as leaders in personalised care. To be awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating is amazing and a testament to the team's hard work.

“Our commitment to delivering high-quality care is unwavering. We believe that every resident deserves the best possible care and support, and this rating validates our ongoing efforts to meet and exceed these standards.

“It’s always great to hear such positive feedback from relatives and residents – it means a lot. I look forward to celebrating this achievement with the team and continuing to build on our success in delivering exceptional care.”

Weald Heights is a purpose-built care home designed to deliver luxurious comfort for residents, complete with a pub, 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.