A residential home in County Durham for individuals with complex needs is celebrating after the Care Quality Commission rated it as 'Good' after an inspection.

The service was recognised for its culture of “high quality, person-centred care.”

The report on Thornfield Grange praised the standard of care offered at the service and highlighted many areas of positive practice, saying residents received the “right support, right care and right culture.”

One relative of a service user told CQC inspectors: “I know he is in the right place. I don’t have to worry.”

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Thornfield Grange, on Etherley Lane, Bishop Auckland, is run by leading health and social care company Cygnet Health Care and was awarded a “Good” rating following an inspection by the CQC.

The report also recognised the “inclusive and empowering” culture at the service and said staff, as well as service users, felt valued.

It is a specialist residential service, supporting individuals with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs. The team supports individuals who have behaviours that may challenge, as well as those who have significant difficulties with social engagement.

The latest inspection was an unannounced inspection on February 22 2023. In addition to speaking to staff, the CQC inspectors also spoke with five residents at the service and three relatives.

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The inspection focused on three key lines of enquiry; Effective, Caring and Well Led. All were awarded ‘Good’ and as a result, the service has a ‘Good’ rating across all five domains.

It read: “People were actively encouraged to access the community and develop life skills and independence. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.

A relative said: “They are getting out and accessing the community and really enjoying life. They don't come home now as they regard Thornfield Grange as their home.

“The service has a highly motivated, knowledgeable and empathetic staff team. Staff placed people's aspirations, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.”

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Kelly Neave, Cygnet Health Care Service Manager for Thornfield Grange, said she was really pleased with the outcome.

She said: “Myself and the team work exceptionally hard each day to ensure we are providing the best care possible to our service users. We aim to provide a safe, comfortable and effective care environment for those in our care, promoting independence and community integration.

“I am very proud of the passion, commitment and dedication my staff demonstrate towards improving the lives of those who use our service. I am grateful that our hard work and willingness to go above and beyond has been reflected within the CQC report.

“We will continue to strive for more and will continue putting further changes in place to aim for an Outstanding rating at our next inspection. Our biggest priority will always be our service users and ensuring we give them the highest quality of life.”

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The report highlighted improved staff support, commenting that staff were well-trained and knowledgeable about the people they were supporting.

Inspectors also applauded the “bright, personalised, homely environment” which had been created, saying the house was full of photographs, appropriate signage and furnishings and decor were homely and welcoming.

Praising staff for treating service users with compassion, dignity and kindness, the report added: “Staff were observed to be regularly interacting with people who enjoyed their company.

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“We observed sensitive interactions between people and staff who showed complete empathy and understanding when this was required along with sharing humour and fun.”

Inspectors said there was a robust safeguarding system in place and the management team was “always accessible and open to listening and receiving feedback.”

They said the service worked proactively with other health and social care professionals who were involved in people's care.