Exemplar Health Care’s two Rochdale care homes praised by care regulator

Exemplar Health Care’s two Rochdale homes, Church Walk and Thames House, have recently both been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Church Walk, home to 12 service users with complex needs, received the rating this month. Thames House, home to 19 service users, received the rating in September.

Both homes in the Greater Manchester town support service users with neuro-disabilities, mental health conditions, brain and spinal injury, and stroke.

‘We're so proud’ 

Home Managers at both homes said they and their teams were delighted to receive the accolades.

“We’re so proud the CQC noticed all our hard work,” said Thames House’s Home Manager, Dawn Moran. “It’s particularly satisfying to be noted for the programme that sees our service users become ambassadors – and our top-notch restaurant-style dining.”

“When we heard the news, we all celebrated,” said Zahir Teemil, Peripatitic Home Manager for Church Walk. “It’s wonderful to be given such praise, and to be recognised for our first-class care we proudly provide our service users.”

The two Rochdale homes are among the 96.5% of Exemplar’s care homes to be rated as “Good” or better by the CQC. The CQC, the regulator, classes all care homes as outstanding, good, requiring improvement or inadequate.

‘Brilliant’ food

In Thames House’s CQC report, inspectors noted the home’s “access to professionals, a well-trained staff team and a choice of a nutritious diet.” They quoted service users saying the food was “brilliant.”

“They will make you something else if you don't like it,” a service user is quoted as saying. Service users told inspectors that they had chosen the décor of their bedrooms, each personalised to their tastes. Service users were also involved in “choosing themes for the communal areas,” the report added. “They listen to us,” a service user said.

‘Genuine affection’

Over at Church Walk, two miles away, CQC inspectors noted that service users “were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.” Another CQC observation was care colleagues having “time to spend with and showed genuine affection for the people they supported.”

The report noted the care the home took to make sure each service user was eating a suitable, enjoyable diet.

“The chef had a good understanding of people’s likes and dislikes and said that they would speak to each new person to find their preferences,” said the report.

“People were treated with kindness,” the report noted. One service user told inspectors, “[The staff] are good with me, and very patient. They have gotten to know me, and they know what I like.”