A NATIONAL care watchdog has given a care home in Chester its seal of approval, with residents and relatives praising the attentive and caring team members.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) report gave Care UK’s Pinetum care home, on Liverpool Road, an overall ‘Good’ rating, following an unannounced inspection.

The care home was rated ‘Good’ in five categories, which include safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership.

Residents told the CQC inspectors that they were happy and felt well cared for at Pinetum.

One resident said: “The support is excellent.” Another commented, “The care is second to none”.

The report stated it was clear that the team knew each resident well and displayed positive, warm and familiar relationships with people. Detailed care plans have been put together which outline the resident’s life history, their likes, dislikes and preferences, and are used to get to know people and engage them in conversations. One member of the team has even learnt to knit, so that they can spend meaningful time with a resident, chatting over common interests.

The leadership team in the home was praised for creating an open, fair culture that promotes high-quality, person-centred care, and for ensuring an open door is offered to both team members, relatives and residents. People told inspectors they were confident in expressing their views about their care and were continuously given opportunities to give feedback through resident and relative surveys.

Inspectors were particularly impressed with the team’s ability to offer activities that suited a range of different needs and preferences. The activities programme has been devised with the input of residents, and is under continual development to meet people’s needs. One resident commented: “The activities are the best part of the day.”

Emma Tillyer, home manager at Pinetum, said: “Everyone has put in a lot of hard work to ensure we offer a warm and welcoming environment for all residents and their families, and the whole team is really proud of their achievements.

“Receiving a ‘Good’ rating shows just how dedicated the team is to looking after every individual’s needs, and we will continue our hard work to ensure residents receive compassionate, person-centred care. I am incredibly proud of the team and would like to say thank you to each and every team member for their dedication, which I know is also greatly appreciated by residents and their families.”