The service, provides neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative rehabilitation for men with mental health difficulties and acquired brain injuries. In the new CQC report, published today , inspectors concluded that the service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, after inspection visits in November.
Stephen Smith, Hospital Manager at Cygnet Heathers, said “It’s absolutely fantastic to receive this rating from the CQC. It has taken an enormous amount of hard work and everyone at Cygnet Heathers should be so proud of themselves. They show great consistency and dedication in their work every day. We stand as a team, and I’m really pleased that we have been recognised for the great job we do.”
He added “COVID has been incredibly difficult for the entire sector, but we have still managed to provide an excellent service and attend to each service-user with the care and compassion they deserve.”
Inspectors praised staff for the compassion and kindness shown towards service-users. The report said: “They respected patients’ privacy and dignity. They understood the individual needs of patients and supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. Staff when interacting with patients were discreet, respectful, and responsive.”
The CQC also highlighted staff’s teamwork across different disciplines, noting “They supported each other to make sure patients had no gaps in their care.”
Inspectors spoke to staff, service-users and their relatives and carers during the inspection visit, with one care noting that staff at Cygnet Heathers “try to go above and beyond”. The report also noted “Staff expressed pride working for Cygnet Heathers and in the work, they do for their patients”.
The physical environment at Cygnet Heathers has been specially designed to aid service-users’ neurobehavioural rehabilitation process, particularly helping them manage visual, spatial and perceptual difficulties. This is achieved through innovative interior design such as zoned colour ways, advanced picture navigation systems, contrast furniture and other visual cues, which provide consistency and reduce confusion for service users.
The full report can be found on the CQC website here.