Praise for Hartlepool's elderly care homes as 13 out of 16 rated as 'good'

Hartlepool Borough Council Adult and Community Based Services Committee received an update on care homes for older people in the town at its latest meeting.

The town now has 13 of its care homes rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission, equating to 81%, up from 75% from the previous update in March.

Three care homes in the town remain rated as ‘requires improvement’ but council bosses said they are committed to improving the ratings.

No care homes in the town are rated the top rating of ‘outstanding’ or the lowest rating of ‘inadequate’.

Danielle Swainston, assistant director for joint commissioning, said: “Those that are requires improvement, we have got action plans in place that our link officers are supporting.

“We continue to aspire to all of our homes being ‘good’ and continue to work hard with our link officers and our managers in the homes.

“The care home market is always fragile, and we are always working very very carefully with all of our care homes because not only do we want them to be good, we want them to be sustainable from a finance point of view.”

Council officers also looked at how government funding was given to Hartlepool, like other councils across the country, to improve the sustainability of care homes.

The majority of the funding in Hartlepool was used to support capital investment to improve facilities at all care homes, which was praised by councillors, who highlighted several homes in particular.

Coun Sue Little, chair of the committee, said: “I must admit when I have been round I always thought Wynyard Woods was breathtaking, but Charlotte Grange, it was absolutely wonderful walking round there.

“They have a beach scene, they have Cleveland Hills, the way some of these homes have spent their money, it makes me feel pleased to get old in the town.”

Funding was used at Charlotte Grange care home to redesign its dementia facilities, while Wynyard Woods had printed vinyl wall coverings to display different villages and rail features.

Praise was also given by councillors for the reduction in elderly people being admitted to placements outside the borough of Hartlepool.

The number was as high as 51 in 2016/17, and was 16 in 2018/19, but has dropped to nine so far this year.