Yew Tree House, part of Chosen Care, a National Care Group service, was described by the inspecting Care Quality Commission (CQC) as delivering an ‘environment that maximised people's choice, control, and independence' following an inspection in August.
The residential service, which supports nine adults with complex physical and mental health needs, received an overall inspection rating of ‘good’, following assessment into areas of management, safety, and day-to-day operations.
Donna Rickards-Morris, registered manager at Yew Tree House said: “Everyone at our service is thrilled to have been recognised for their hard work and dedication, especially after the difficulties the Covid-19 pandemic posed for us and the People We Support. Over the past three years the team has been faced with many demanding and challenging situations and really deserves this recognition for remaining focused on delivering a quality service.
“I’m grateful for the hard work, passion, and commitment of the team here, with the backing of our wider operational and management colleagues across National Care Group. Striving to help the people we support to achieve their dreams and aspirations, while maximising their independence is a shared goal, which clearly the CQC inspectors were impressed by too. Ratings such as this help to reinforce our confidence that we are making a real difference to people’s lives as well as those of the incredible families and friends in their support circles.”
In recognition of their efforts, the hard-working support team at Yew Tree House will be celebrating with a Christmas party at a local community hall. Colleagues, the people they support, and their friends and families are all on the guest list. Taking place on Tuesday 20 December, there will be festive food, Christmas carols, and games for everyone in attendance.
Families of those supported at the service also spoke highly of the day-to-day support delivered, and expressed their pride in the achievement, including James Stephens, whose brother Robert has been resident at Yew Tree House since 2011, following a severe head injury.
James said: “Donna and her team have created a supportive, safe, and happy environment for the residents of Yew Tree House, providing engaging activities and treating them with respect and dignity. We have always found the team friendly and communicative, and they have taken care to involve our family in Robert’s complex medical needs.
“We feel very reassured that Robert lives in an environment where he is treated with care, kindness, and friendship, and where he’s fully supported.”
The CQC report for Yew Tree House also highlighted a strong ‘quality assurance system’ in place at the service – an aspect that ties into a central remit of National Care Group to deliver the highest standards of support across the country.
James Allen, CEO of National Care Group said: “Our Team at Yew Tree House work extremely hard to get everything right and it’s wonderful to see them get the recognition they deserve for the exceptional quality of service they are providing. All at National Care Group are immensely proud of them.”
“Their success reflects our continued drive for quality and ongoing improvement across the organisation and demonstrates our mission and values in continually achieving the best outcomes for the people we support.”
For more information on the services Donna and the Yew Tree House Team provides, click here.