Branksome Heights Care Home in Bournemouth was given the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Quality Hallmark Award, one of the UK’s most respected accreditations for end-of-life care.
The GSF panel described the care home as “incredibly compassionate and supportive,” with a culture where “every resident is treated like family.”
Tracey Millar, regional operations director at Kingsley Healthcare, said: “This result is testament to the compassion, skill and consistency the team at Branksome Heights bring to end-of-life care every single day.
The Branksome Heights team celebrate their GSF success (Image: Kingsley Healthcare Group)
“The Gold Standards Framework sets a genuinely high bar and to pass every mandatory standard with a score of 96 per cent reflects years of dedicated work by James and his team to put residents and families at the heart of every decision.
“We are incredibly proud of them, and this accreditation gives other Kingsley homes across the group a real benchmark of excellence to learn from and build on.”
Located on Branksome Wood Road, Branksome Heights is part of the Kingsley Healthcare Group.
The assessment took place on June 9, with the home achieving a score of 96 per cent (74 out of 77), meeting all mandatory standards.
The GSF accreditation examines how care homes support residents and families through the final stages of life.
Personalised plans, advance care discussions, and anticipatory medication are part of the care model.
In the 12 months reviewed, 94 per cent of residents who died at Branksome Heights did so in their preferred place of care.
Every relative affected by a bereavement received dedicated support, a bereavement leaflet and the opportunity to give feedback through a bereavement questionnaire.
James Mills, home manager at Branksome Heights, said: “Supporting someone through the final chapter of their life, and supporting their family through it too, is one of the most important things we do, and this accreditation belongs to every member of the team.
“Our staff have worked hard to make sure end-of-life care here is not just about clinical excellence, although that matters enormously, but about dignity, love and really knowing the people we care for.
“Hearing the assessors describe us as being ‘like family’ to our residents means more to us than any score.”
The assessors also praised the home’s life-enrichment activities, including a ‘three wishes’ scheme, Namaste-trained staff, a ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ programme, and strong community links.
These included a recent resident trip to a cat café.