Birch Hill Care Centre awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Care Quality Commission

Birch Hill Care Centre in Norham, Berwick-upon-Tweed, has been awarded ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, following an inspection in August 2018.

The centre, owned and run by Ben, which provides flexible, continuing care and support for those in later life, has achieved Outstanding overall for being ‘Effective’ and ‘Well-led’ and has been rated Good in the areas of ‘Safe’, ‘Caring’ and ‘Responsive’.

The care centre’s team has worked consistently to further enhance its services from Good, to achieve Outstanding overall, in two of five CQC domains. With clear leadership, a dedicated manager and an organisation with clear strategic goals, the centre has provided excellent care for its residents.

CQC inspectors commented: “The service was extremely effective. Bespoke and innovative training was provided to staff to help them to understand the experiences of people living with dementia. Relatives were also supported to gain a greater understanding of how people might be affected by their dementia related condition.

“People told us they felt safe at Birch Hill and systems were in place to monitor the safety of the premises and equipment. Medicines continued to be managed safely and there were suitable numbers of staff on duty. Staff were caring and courteous. We observed numerous examples of compassionate care during the inspection and observed the privacy and dignity of people was maintained.”

To read the full report, click here.

Nicola Hall, Care Centre Manager at Birch Hill, said: “The whole team at Birch Hill is absolutely delighted that the centre has achieved an Outstanding rating. We are immensely proud of this achievement and the consistent level of life-enhancing care that we provide to our residents.

“This rating is testament to the hard work and passion of our staff and management team and we can’t thank them enough for their dedication to Birch Hill. This is a tremendous team effort, so congratulations to all at Birch Hill.”

Stephen Robinson, Care Services Director, said: “This is a huge accomplishment for Birch Hill and all who work there. The centre and its staff have been recognised for providing a continuing and consistent approach to delivering specialist dementia care and support to its residents. Many congratulations to everyone who helped get this result, this is very well deserved.”

Nestled high above the River Tweed, Birch Hill Care Centre is located within the peaceful Northumbrian village of Norham. Set within beautiful, extensive grounds, this small, homely care centre exclusively cares for adults over the age of 65 living with dementia.

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