A SPECIALIST homecare provided based in across Cumbria has been given an 'outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission.

Westmorland Homecare, which has branches in Kendal, Grange-over-Sands, Poulton and Lancaster has announced that they received a very positive inspection in all aspects by the commission.

Westmorland Homecare Limited, which was founded in 2017 by Doctors Josh Macaulay and Chris Moss, is well known in the county for their service and specialist care.

Both have had previous experience of caring for people in their NHS roles as an A&E doctor and anaesthetist but wanted to help people more than while they were just in hospital.

The branches provide hundreds of hours of care each week, which enable elderly and often frail people in the area to live independently in their own home. Services include home care, such as help with housekeeping and meal preparation, and personal care, such as help with dressing, bathing and getting in and out of bed.

The CQC, the independent regulator of health and social care services in England, assessed the Poulton, Fylde and Wyre branch on five key areas - whether the service was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The overall rating was ‘outstanding’.

Dr Chris Moss, one of the three directors of Westmorland Homecare Limited, said: “The CQC rating for our Poulton, Fylde and Wyre branch is wonderful news.

"It is amazing we are continuing to develop and deliver our very special outstanding service across the region.

"It is a credit to all involved.”

Registered manager at the branch Becky Ashmore said she was delighted with the CQC’s report. “We strive to provide outstanding care and that has been recognised.

“We started about three years ago in 2019 and we were going along nicely, then the Covid pandemic hit and we faced many challenges.

"To be rated as ‘outstanding’ is testament to the amazing care shown by our health care assistants and the way they have kept their clients and themselves safe.

“In some cases, the families of clients who lived some distance away could not come to their relatives during lockdowns and our health care assistants had to step in to their roles to some extent.

“The dedication and passion they have for their clients means it is natural for them to go above and beyond.

"We don’t ask them to do it - they do it because of the bond they have.”

Becky highlighted how Westmorland Homecare Poulton, Fylde and Wyre had contacted local garden centres, which donated pots, soil and sunflower seeds. Health care assistants took these to their clients’ homes and helped them to plant the seeds. “It was a little thing but it made a big difference to clients’ lives - it was something different and positive for them to focus on during the pandemic,” said Becky.

In its overall summary the CQC stated: ‘People benefitted from exceptionally caring staff that provided continuity of support. The feedback from people demonstrated the caring and empowering culture was well embedded across the organisation.’

It added: ‘People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.’

In the ‘Is the service caring?’ section, the report stated: ‘People told us they were treated with respect.

One person in a questionnaire commented: “You have given me friends who care for me”.’

One relative stated: "They are brilliant carers, kind and caring, they go above and beyond."