ST CROSS Grange care home in Winchester, where staff have been praised for being “kind and helpful”, has risen to an across the board rating of ‘Good’ in its latest inspection.

St Cross Grange care home excelled in its Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection and was commended for providing a safe service and adapting to residents’ needs through tailored care plans, activities, meals and equipment. The home offers residential and specialist dementia care.

The inspection assessed five areas of the service - safety, responsiveness, care, effectiveness and leadership - and was consistently awarded ‘Good’ status in all five areas.

Comments from residents in the report included: “It’s comfortable here, they’re very good, they are pleasant and polite. I think it’s excellent, I can’t fault it here. I get a good service. They’re very good, all kind and helpful.”

The latest report, published on June 9, celebrated the vibrant community the home has created, confirming that: “Activities were constantly being improved and bespoke training had been provided for staff so they could consider the activity needs of people living with dementia when planning activities.

The report later added: “The service management and leadership was consistent. Leaders and the culture they created supported the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

“Everybody said staff respected their privacy, they thought staff treated them with dignity and respect.”

Ian MacDonald, home manager at St Cross Grange, said: “We are delighted that St Cross Grange achieved a full house of coveted ‘Good’ ratings following the CQC’s most recent inspection. The team at St Cross Grange remains committed to providing the best possible quality care for everyone who lives at the home.”

It is a far cry from 2014 when the home was struggling and at one stage the county council stopped referring people there.