The DurhamGate Rated ‘Good’ by Care Quality Commission

The DurhamGate care home, Spennymoor, County Durham, has been rated ‘Good’ in all areas following their first CQC (Care Quality Commission) inspection.

During the visit, CQC inspectors observed the residents’ experience in the home. They spoke to several residents, their families, and staff members, seeking feedback on the service the care home offers.

The CQC praised The DurhamGate for its ‘friendly, open and transparent’ atmosphere, stating that the residential care home promoted a ‘positive, relaxed, open culture that was compassionate and caring.’

Inspectors were impressed with the ‘person-centred care’, stating that residents and relatives ‘felt listened to and consulted when planning and agreeing how care and support should be provided’ and ‘supported people to have an active life in line with their preferences and choices about how they liked to spend their time.

Upon speaking to residents, inspectors reported that ‘staff were caring, kind and supportive’ and ‘treated people with great kindness, empathy and compassion’, with residents commenting, “I am well cared for” and “Staff are lovely here, they are very caring.”

The DurhamGate was commended for its positive ethos ‘where people were at the heart of the service’ and staff ‘supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control.’ The team at The DurhamGate were praised for the ‘shared vision, strategy and culture’ which ‘focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement’ by enabling people to share feedback and ideas and ‘encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people’.

Management and leadership at the home was also praised in the report, noting that ‘leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively’ and that they did so with ‘integrity, openness and honesty’.

The facilities of the home also received a special mention, noting that ‘the environment was exceptionally well-designed for people’s comfort and well-being.”

Karen Johnson, General Manager at The DurhamGate, said, ‘We are delighted to receive a ‘good’ rating from the CQC for our first inspection at The DurhamGate. This achievement reflects the hard work and genuine care that our entire team demonstrates every day.

‘We’d like to extend our gratitude to all our wonderful residents and their families for being such an important part of the The DurhamGate community.’

You can read The DurhamGate’s report on the CQC website.