Glowing report sees care home rated ‘outstanding’

Staff at an Ipswich care home have been showered with praise in a glowing report by a watchdog – which saw their services awarded the highest possible rating of ‘outstanding’.

People living at Asterbury Place in Chantry experienced “extremely good levels of care and support”, inspectors from the Care Quality Commission found after a visit earlier this year.

Ideas for social activities were innovative, the kitchen catered for a range of dietary and cultural needs including vegetarian, Caribbean and diabetic and efforts were made to ensure people lived as full a life as possible, they said.

Manager Christina de Silva, who was praised for her integrity in the report, said: “I was thrilled when we heard the news.

“I have the most amazing team, from the nurses, carers and lifestyle coordinators, to the chefs, administrators and domestic and maintenance teams.

“They are committed to delivering extremely high levels of care and support – for them, good is never good enough.

“They go above and beyond to tailor support to meet everyone’s needs and they work to give flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

“We have a diverse team and residents all from different backgrounds, who speak several languages, and we celebrate that diversity.

“It is really rewarding for all of us that so many people still visit after their relatives are no longer with us, as they still feel an emotional attachment to the home.”

Asterbury Place, in Aster Road, was first built in 2014.

However, shortly after it first opened, staff were told they could take in no more county council residents – after an emergency safeguarding inspection was announced.However, this was resolved quickly and the facility, run by Care UK, earned its first official rating of ‘good’ in 2016.

Lewis Cossey, who visits his wife Sandra – a resident at the home – during the week, said he was originally dreading having to find her a home.

“You hear such terrible things,” he said.

“My daughters went to see a number of homes and were not happy, but the moment they went into Asterbury Place everything changed.

“The home has a lovely atmosphere and the lady on reception makes you feel relaxed and welcome.”

Inspectors ranked the home, which provides personal and nursing care for up to 80 older people, ‘outstanding overall’, with top marks for leadership and responsiveness.