Exemplar Health Care was involved in developing and piloting the Quality Assured scheme.
Dearnevale provides a welcoming home for adults living with complex needs arising from neuro-disabilities including Huntington’s disease, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. The home has 40 en-suite bedrooms across four units. With this small group living, they’re able to provide a homely and supportive environment that’s more responsive to individual needs. Dearnevale is at the heart of the local community which means that people can access the care they need whilst remaining close to their loved ones.
We’re all passionate about providing the best quality of care for people and their families. Our mission is to make every day better for the people we support.
Exemplar Health Care has always worked closely with the Huntington’s Disease Association to ensure the best possible care for people living with Huntington's disease.
Why did you decide to get your care home accredited?
People living with Huntington’s disease deserve to get the best care possible, and the accreditation process and scheme ensures that we meet those standards. I see first hand, the outstanding care that our team provides every day. We’re proud that this has been acknowledged by the national charity and honoured to have received the Quality Assured tick. It’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of the outstanding team we have here at Dearnevale.
How did you find the process of the accreditation?
It was an easy-to-follow process that the whole staff team could be part of and take pride in showing the care and facilities our home offers.
How do you feel the standard of care has changed for your service users?
The depth of staff knowledge has improved during our accreditation process, which has strengthened the level of care and support we provide. All colleagues have completed Huntington’s disease training at various levels. This has improved knowledge and understanding of the disease, enabling person-centred care at a higher level for our people.
What would you say to other care homes who are considering accreditation?
If you’re passionate about providing outstanding care for those living with Huntington’s disease, I’d say do it. The process enables you to benchmark where you currently are against the standards set by the Huntington's Disease Association, which provides opportunities to celebrate what you’re doing well already and identify any areas to enhance.
Knowing that your care meets the high standards required for accreditation is a big boost to the team – we’re always looking for ways to continually improve so we continue meeting those standards.
Quality Assured Accreditation panel
This was a very strong portfolio and report which the panel was very impressed by, and Dearnevale should be commended on the care that they offer. It is also very positive that even since accreditation, Dearnevale have continued to progress and develop what they are doing, such as applying for Gold Standards Framework. It was added during the panel that Dearnevale have recently achieved Top 20 Yorkshire and Humber care home for the seventh year in a row, awarded by carehome.co.uk.
A lot of the strength of Dearnevale comes from their staff, and they clearly have an excellent team that they invest in and it is worth them keeping an eye to the future, as they appear to, so that they can nurture and maintain such strength. We are very happy to re-accredit Dearnevale.
You can find out more about our Quality Assured care home accreditation and our list of accredited care homes.
