Home care workers with 'hearts of gold' receive Outstanding rating from care regulator

Home Instead Senior Care has received its 11th Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection at its Epsom and Mole Valley office.

The CQC deemed Home Instead Epsom and Mole Valley to be ‘very caring’, putting the people they care for first and building strong, positive relationships based on respect and kindness.

Paul and Jill Tame, who first opened the Epsom and Mole Valley office in 2010, praised the hard work of the 115 home care workers they employ for the Outstanding rating.

They said: “We are firmly committed to realising Home Instead’s mission to change the face of ageing.

“That means providing care that older people can trust, care that’s provided by caregivers who love what they do and are truly valued for their work in turn.

“We couldn’t have become an officially Outstanding home care provider without them.”

Freda Elbourne, a Home Instead client of four years who spoke to CQC inspectors, seconded the owners’ comments, stating: “All my caregivers have hearts of gold and know how to make my day.”

A retired primary school teacher, 90-year-old Mrs Elbourne added: “I have always felt comfortable and safe with them and that’s what counts at my age.

“There’s a friendly feeling and they just know what needs doing intuitively. They are always on time and that means I can absolutely trust them too. I love them all.”

Staff feel as valued as the clients

Mrs Elbourne’s home care worker, Sheena Reeve, expressed her gratitude towards the Home Instead for valuing not only its clients but also its staff. She explained: “It’s a great organisation to be part of. I love working here, I like the values and the fact that they genuinely care about the clients.

“They care about their caregivers too, as the ‘troops on the ground’, who are delivering dignified care that makes a difference to so many older people’s lives.”

The CQC report commended the group for its commitment to providing high quality care which is tailored to individual wishes by “putting people at the heart of everything.”

It also praised Home Instead for the way it matches home care staff with clients based on interests and background, explaining that this helps both home care workers and clients value their relationship.

One home care worker told the CQC that she did not know she had such patience and understanding but being matched with someone with similar interests makes it “easy to be someone's companion and caregiver,” while another said it is “a pleasure” to support their client every day.

Deborah Ivanova, deputy chief inspector of adult social care at the CQC, said: “Home Instead Senior Care demonstrated excellent person-centred care with a strong commitment to putting people at the heart of the service.

Empathy, dedication and passion

“We were delighted to see how the strength of leadership shone through all aspects of this outstanding service.

“It recruited staff who showed empathy, dedication and a passion to make a real difference to people’s lives. In turn, people had positive relationships with staff.

“Staff felt privileged to be able to care for and help support people to remain independent.”

Martin Jones, managing director of Home Instead Senior Care, said: “Adding an excellent 11th Outstanding rating to our accolades is further testament to the fact that together, our network is changing the face of ageing.

“Being officially presented with the Queen’s Award for Innovation in January this year, having an inaugural Princess Royal Training Award and now 11 CQC Outstanding ratings signal another exceptional year ahead for Home Instead.”

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