Essex care home Cedars Place has achieved an Outstanding rating two years after it was bought by Stow Healthcare.

The Halstead home was previously rated Requires improvement under previous owners, having suffered from under investment and lack of leadership. Following the home’s first inspection under new ownership, inspectors noted: “Since taking over the management of the service, the provider has provided strong effective leadership which has transformed the service and the care provided.”

Inspectors rated the home as Outstanding overall and in two of the five categories reviewed. The report states: “The leadership team and staff consistently looked for new opportunities to support people to maximise their quality of life and independence in an exceptional person-centred way.”

Four out of Stow Healthcare’s eight homes are now rated as Outstanding. Only 2% of care homes in England have achieved this rating.

Ruth French, Stow Healthcare director, said: “The staff, residents, and families of Cedars Place are ecstatic.  We have an excellent team at the home, who have worked so hard to create a warm, loving and vibrant home that the town can be proud of.”

Home manager Judith Morgan Worrall said: “Having joined team Cedars Place at the beginning of 2022, it has been amazing to see the commitment and dedication of everyone at home to drive forward change and improve the lives of our residents. I am incredibly proud of the team and everyone’s contribution to this fantastic rating.”

Local MP and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly paid tribute to Stow Healthcare staff who “have worked tirelessly to make this happen”, while Essex County Council head of provider quality Sam Crawford praised the company’s strong leadership and “journey of continuous improvement.”