Healthwatch impressed by Alma Court

A team from Healthwatch Staffordshire recently inspected Alma Court Care Home in Cannock and were left impressed with the quality of care and resident services. Their visit sought to capture the resident experience in their own terms as well as input from relatives and staff.

Healthwatch Staffordshire is the independent local voice for service users of health and social care, ensuring that providers operating those services put people at the heart of any care. Through direct contact with the residents and a questionnaire, they aim to understand their needs, experiences and concerns in accessing and using local health and social care services; they then work with those care providers to improve services where required. Find more here.

Inspecting against eight indicators, Healthwatch focuses on issues of quality, for example how residents and their relatives can input to how a service runs, and how residents are supported to enjoy or develop their interests. The eight indicators are:

1. A strong visible management
2. Staff with time and skills to do their jobs
3. Good knowledge of each individual resident and how their needs may be changing
4. A varied programme of activities
5. Quality, choice and flexibility around food and mealtimes
6. Ensuring residents can regularly see health professionals such as GPs, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, audiologists etc.
7. Accommodate resident’s personal, cultural and lifestyle needs
8. Provide an open environment where feedback is actively sought and used

Our Healthwatch report includes comments about our staff commitment to the home, such as “The Manager spoke with enthusiasm about her new role and she seemed very knowledgeable and familiar with all aspects of the home and staff.” The report states that the Healthwatch team were very impressed with the approach our staff took in respect of activities and therapy and highlighted that the home does not employ agency staff.

There was plenty of evidence to support quality indicator 4 at Alma Court. The Healthwatch team saw photographic evidence of a boat trip, fish and chips being enjoyed, tea and cakes and the home being visited by various animals. The report also noted that a therapy dog, who also has a care plan like our residents, regularly visits our home. We have also introduced personal music playlists via Alexa, which our residents can use to relax.

Andrea Walker, Home Manager for Alma Court was full of praise for our staff. “The whole team at Alma Court work hard to provide the best in care to our residents and ensure that their well-being is enhanced with an active and interesting lifestyle, whatever their personal capacity. It’s great for all the team that the independent Healthwatch Staffordshire have recognised and praised us for this.”

For more on Alma Court, please call 01543 273860 or search ‘Alma Court Care’ online or on Facebook.