‘Outstanding’ News for Colten Care Home
A family-owned residential and nursing home has received some ‘outstanding’ news after gaining top marks in an independent inspection.
Colten Care’s Kingfishers in New Milton, Hampshire, held an afternoon tea party to celebrate its official Outstanding rating from industry regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The assessment means the home is among the best one per cent of nursing homes nationally.
The home was assessed across five criteria – being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led – with sufficient elements reaching the highest standards to achieve the overall rating.
Inspectors praised team members for delivering “exceptional care and compassion”, noting the “service was personalised to meet people’s individual needs in a positive, open, transparent culture”.
The report quotes a GP who described the home as a “centre of excellence”, adding: “The care provided to people and relatives continues to be the best I have witnessed.”
In her comments, Deborah Ivanova, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the CQC, said: “It was inspiring to find the staff at Kingfishers constantly looking for ways to improve care so people had positive experiences and led fulfilling lives.
“Excellent links with the local community, schools and charities have been developed to support the home and involve those living at Kingfishers.
“There was a real focus on developing staff’s knowledge and skills in order to provide high quality care.
“The home had a culture of promoting people’s independence, recognising their individuality and providing care and support that embraced their culture and diversity.”
The celebration party featured a sponge cake specially baked by Kingfishers’ chefs and iced with the Colten Care logo and one word: Outstanding.
Mark Aitchison, Chief Executive, told guests: “While all our homes are already rated Good, this is the first overall Outstanding rating for one of our homes and it’s absolutely fantastic. Care is what we’re all about – one team, working 24/7, 365 days of the year. That’s quite some undertaking and the team should all be incredibly proud of this achievement.”
Also attending was CQC Inspector Tony Smith who said: “I am just the messenger. I only write what I find and this is an outstanding home.”
Home Manager Beata Brzozowska said: “We’re thrilled with the inspectors’ report. It really is a testament to the commitment of our whole team. This is the happiest day of my life. Thank you all so much. We showed everyone that we can reach for the highest.”
Her views were echoed by Tania Ruzheva, Senior Care Lead, who added: “We work hard, supporting and respecting each other. This is the best prize a team can achieve and we’re all honoured to be part of it.”
Resident Eric Sinclare, 97, said: “The staff are wonderful, the place is wonderful and the activities are wonderful. What more can I say?”
Other guests included Cllr David Hawkins of New Milton Town Council who commented: “I was Mayor for three years and visited Kingfishers on many occasions. It’s a fantastic home and you can feel how family orientated it is as soon as you walk through the doors. Staff are always smiling. I think we should count ourselves very lucky that we have such an outstanding home in New Milton.”
