A home for the elderly in Thurnscoe has won praise for providing kind and sensitive care in safe and stimulating surroundings where residents are treated with dignity and respect.

The Grove Care Centre in Thurnscoe Bridge Lane was today celebrating findings of an in-depth report by the Care Quality Commission which rated it good in all five categories of its inspection.

“Exceptionally caring” staff, nutritious meals with flexible menus and “spontaneous, friendly and engaging” relationships between residents and workers are among the highlights.

The inspector says everyone consulted during the review was “overwhelmingly positive” about the staff and the management team.

“Relatives and external professionals said they could not fault the service,” says the inspector.

The report issued in December comes after unannounced inspections carried out during two days in September this year.

It says staff are trained to an excellent standard, medicines are administered and managed safely and there are enough experienced, skilled staff to support residents, who told the inspector they felt safe living at The Grove.

One health and social care professional working with the home told the inspector, “It’s clean, it’s bright and it doesn’t smell like a nursing home. They keep a good eye on people here. I come here every week and they always give me a verbal update on how the person has done. The staff know what’s happening.”

The inspector observed that staff were consistently reassuring and showed kindness when they were providing support and in day-to-day conversations.

“During the inspection, we observed staff supporting people with a sense of fun and spontaneity. For example, both staff and people living at the service broke into song on a number of occasions and people were sat in the garden laughing and joking and enjoying the sunshine.

“One member of staff talked about the” big achievement” of all the staff, carers and people living at The Grove. They talked passionately about how staff and carers had come in their own time to renovate a derelict area of the garden.”

The home’s use of themed areas to prompt memories for people with dementia is also highlighted in the report.

“For example, there was an area dedicated to mining for all the people who had worked in the mining industry. Another area was dedicated to social outings and included a range of hats and scarves and sensory tactile objects,” says the inspector.

Staff also spoke highly of training opportunities provided by the home’s owners, West Midlands-based St Philips Care.

They told the inspector; “They are a brilliant company to work for; they encourage you to develop your skills.”

Training schemes adopted by the home include the Bee Inspired dementia care programme aimed at enriching residents’ lives by adapting the surroundings to suit their needs.

The Care Quality Commission is a public body of the Department of Health and was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England.

The Grove was awarded an overall rating of Good after the CQC review provided grades for whether the service it provided was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Manager Elsa Booysen today said staff were proud of the report’s findings that the home did well in all five categories.

“We have a fantastic team here. This is much more than just a business for us. We regard this very much as a true home where our residents feel safe and comfortable.

“We’re especially pleased with the feedback we’ve had on work in the dementia care unit with the Bee Inspired training programme. Walls in each area have been painted in different colours to help residents find their way around and we have introduced a lot of items to help prompt memories and stimulate their senses.”

The Grove is a 28-bed home for elderly people needing nursing or personal care and provides support for residents with dementia.

Risk assessments and emergency procedures are in place and staff understand what to do if they suspect abuse or if there is a risk of residents becoming dehydrated or malnourished, the report says.