An Anlaby care home has achieved national recognition for the quality of its end-of-life care, becoming the only GSF-accredited home in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire that also provides nursing care.
St Mary’s Care Centre, on Beverley Road, has been awarded the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Quality Hallmark Award following a rigorous two-year programme of training, development and assessment.
The accreditation recognises the home’s approach to providing compassionate, person-centred care to residents approaching the end of their lives, as well as supporting and involving their families throughout.
While other care homes in Hull and the East Riding also hold GSF accreditation, St Mary’s Care Centre is the only accredited home in the area that provides nursing care alongside residential care.
Members of the St Mary’s Care Centre team travelled to Birmingham to receive the award at the GSF Conference and Awards Ceremony on 22 September.
Rather than focusing solely on care during the final days of someone’s life, the Gold Standards Framework helps care teams consider a resident’s entire care journey, recognise changes in their condition and plan ahead for the support they may need.
For residents at St Mary’s Care Centre, this means team members are better equipped to recognise when someone may be approaching the end of their life and adapt their individual care plan accordingly.
By having those plans and conversations in place earlier, residents’ personal wishes and preferences can be understood and respected when the time comes. The aim is to ensure each person receives the right care for them, at the right time, with their comfort, dignity and individual choices at its heart, while their family is supported and involved in their care throughout.
Achieving accreditation involved a detailed assessment of how this approach has been embedded within everyday practice at the home. The process included analysis of care outcomes, a portfolio of evidence, an external assessment visit and a review of how the approach can be sustained in the future.
The GSF Quality Hallmark is a nationally recognised kitemark for excellence in end-of-life care and the GSF is used as an information source within the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection process. Accreditation lasts for three years before homes are required to seek reaccreditation.
Joy Puckering, Home Manager at St Mary’s Care Centre, said: “Achieving this accreditation has been a two-year journey for the whole team, and we are incredibly proud to see all that hard work recognised.
“What matters most is what we have learned along the way and how that has strengthened the care we provide. Our team knows our residents incredibly well, and the training has given them additional knowledge and confidence to recognise changing needs, plan ahead and make sure each person’s wishes remain at the heart of their care.”
Kirsty Crozier, Managing Director of St Mary’s Care Homes, said: “Providing excellent end-of-life care requires knowledge, compassion and the confidence to plan ahead for each individual resident.
“Achieving GSF accreditation demonstrates the commitment the team at St Mary’s Care Centre has made to developing those skills and putting residents’ wishes at the heart of their care. It was a rigorous process and a significant achievement for Joy and the entire team.”
Julie Armstrong-Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for the Gold Standards Framework, said: “These achievements show the difference that can be made when end of life care becomes part of everyday practice. Across all health and social care settings, teams are becoming more confident identifying people earlier, understanding what matters to them and planning care around their wishes.
“We are incredibly proud of all the organisations that have committed to embedding this approach and continuing to improve the experience of people and families at an important time in their lives.”
St Mary’s Care Centre is operated by St Mary’s Care Homes and provides residential, dementia, nursing and respite care.