Sussex village care home for clergy is told it must improve

A village care home which looks after elderly clergy has come in for criticism from health watchdogs.
Terrys Cross House, Woodmancote SUS-190122-130049001Terrys Cross House, Woodmancote SUS-190122-130049001
Terrys Cross House, Woodmancote SUS-190122-130049001

Terrys Cross House in Brighton Road, Woodmancote, near Henfield, has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission.

The care home - which has an integral chapel - is run by a charitable trust and provides retirement accommoodation and personal care for those associated with the Church of England, missionaries and their dependents.

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Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission paid an unannounced visit in November, following a previous inspection when the home had also been rated as ‘requiring improvement.’

In a report out this week, the commission said that the home, which was looking after nine people at the time of the latest inspection, had made some improvements. But, it added: “However, we identified other areas in need of improvement.”

There had been a period when there was no registered manager in place and there had been delays in staff training and appraisals due to staff changes.

Inspectors said that care plans and risk assessments were not updated and some building checks had not been completed.

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However, the inspectors noted that care at the home was good, and also rated it ‘good’ in other areas of effectiveness and response.

A spokeswoman for the Terry’s Cross Trust said that the trust welcomed the CQC report and was pleased that three of the inspection criteria were all graded ‘good’.

“Our commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of our residents is taken very seriously. We cannot be complacent and continually listen to our residents’ needs and concerns and respond appropriately.

“Our residents are fully involved in the day to day activities of Terrys Cross.”

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She added: “The report correctly highlights the shortfalls during the period of time when a new manager was being recruited. The new staffing structure in place has seen a positive improvement in the general day to day running of the home’s services.

“The Trust is confident that by working very closely with the manager and the appropriate teams with immediate effect, improvements in the areas identified as ‘needing improvement’ will continue to be made and we will continue to monitor all the systems in place to keep our residents safe.

“The Trust is working with a quantity surveyor and an environmental consultant licensed with the environment agency to resolve the building issues. Repairs to the roof will be taking place this year.”