Rustington care provider joins UK’s top 1% with ‘outstanding’ rating

Inter-County Nursing and Care Services, in The Street, was awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating after inspections in November and December last year.

Inter-County provides care to about 70 patients in their homes and the report said care was delivered to an ‘exceptionally high standard’.

Gill Wicks has been registered manager at the service since 2008. She said: “This is testament to the dedication and commitment of the team, who are as passionate as I am about delivering quality care to the highest of standards.

“Our aim is to be the best that we can be and we are absolutely delighted to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating from the CQC.”

Inspectors awarded the service ‘outstanding’ ratings in the effectiveness, responsiveness and leadship of care, with ‘good’ ratings for safety and caring.

The overall rating is a step up from the ‘good’ that was assigned in 2015.

The report said: “Consistently positive feedback was provided by relatives which demonstrated people were cared for deeply by genuinely kind and compassionate staff who were totally dedicated and committed to ensuring that people received the care they needed and wanted.

“People and their relatives said how the agency was responsive to their individual circumstances and situations which gave them reassurance and peace of mind that their loved ones were well cared for.”

Care was described as personalised and delivered with respect and empathy.

The managing director and owner of Inter-County Nursing and Care Services, Caroline Hempstead, said treating people with passion, dignity and respect was at the core of the service.

“Quality is at the heart of everything that we do and these values are embodied by the staff and management across the company,” she said.

“The team in Rustington should be extremely proud of the work they do and I would like to congratulate them on such a fantastic achievement.”

Inter-County Nursing and Care Services also operates out of Chichester and Christchurch, near Bournemouth. They are rated ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ respectively.