We are delighted to have finally been awarded an overall rating of ‘outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This was not done without a fight from our owner, Sally Neil-Smith though – as she appealed for the CQC to review its initial report.
We were initially pleased with a successful visit from the CQC. The inspector had made positive comments during the visit and seemed impressed with the quality and attentiveness of the care, the activities and community links, plus the surroundings and cleanliness of the home. However; when the report arrived, we were disappointed to receive an overall rating of ‘Good’. Granted, aspects of the report were graded as ‘Outstanding’, but we were disheartened with the overall rating of the report.

Believing our home to be better than shown in the report, Sally made an enquiry with the Care Quality Commission, asking them to rethink the rating that they issued the home. After revisiting the report, the CQC agreed to change its overall rating of the home from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’. The whole team are now delighted.
Heaton House prides itself on providing the best quality care it can to its residents. Receiving the rating of ‘Excellent’ reflects the hard work and dedication that all staff members show on a daily basis. “Sometimes you just have to fight for what you believe,” said Sally.
“Heaton House more than meets the CQC standard for an outstanding home and I wanted to show Sue, our manager, and all the staff who work so hard that their efforts were not in vain. Achieving the outstanding standard puts us in the top 3.5% of care homes in the UK. We won’t sit on our laurels however, we continually strive to make our home better every single day. We use new technology and forge strong links with local groups such as Little Elms nursery with whom we have established a fantastic relationship based on mutually beneficial intergenerational activities.”
View our Outstanding CQC report here