Rutland care provider Home Instead receives 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission
A company that looks after vulnerable and older people in Rutland has received an exceptional rating from inspectors.
Home Instead, which aims to help people remain in their own homes rather than live in a care home, was visited by the UK care regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Owner of the business, Gail Devereux-Batchelor, said she is absolutely delighted with the result, which saw the care labelled ‘outstanding’ in all five areas of inspection.
Although the company has been rated outstanding before, her team was determined to do even better.
Their hard work means they are now one of just 21 care providers in the whole of England to have achieved the maximum score across all areas of inspection.
Gail set up the business in November 2011 in response to the difficulty her family faced trying to find suitable care for Gail's terminally ill sister.
She said: “My sister needed palliative care, but we couldn't find a reliable, high-quality service.
"It was Christmas time and I remember sitting on the lounge floor with my laptop on Boxing Day, desperate to find an organisation to help – and that’s when I came across Home Instead.
“I was so impressed with their ethos and values I decided to set up my own Home Instead office. Out of something very sad came something very positive: we discovered how big a difference we could make to the lives of our clients and their families.
“This business is my sister’s legacy, and that’s a real comfort to me.”
Home Instead specialises in companionship-based care, focusing primarily on the elderly. Caregivers are matched to clients based on shared interests and their ability to build a really positive relationship.
During the inspection, the CQC spoke to the Home Instead team, to their clients and their families and to local health professionals. It also conducted a thorough check of systems and procedures.
The CQC report included examples of the company’s service and mentions the activities of caregivers, including sing-alongs, tricycle rides, friendship lunches and hand massages.
Clients also spoke enthusiastically about the care they received, with one saying, “It’s like having friends popping in to give you a hand when you need it most.”
CQC inspectors praised the support offered by Gail and her staff in the community, and how they help people through scam-awareness programmes and events that foster social engagement.
In response to the report, Gail said: “I would like to thank all of our clients and their families for their kind words.
"A big special thank you goes out to our caregivers; without them, we would not be able to deliver our outstanding service.”
