Breakfast in bed by game-changing chef adds to buzz at 'outstanding' care home

‘There was a constant buzz’. ‘A buzz of people chatting and laughing and enjoying themselves’ – that was the view of inspectors about an 'outstanding' care home offering lie-ins till 10.30am and a top-notch breakfast in bed.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Princess Christian Residential and Nursing Care Home in Woking, ‘outstanding’ on many fronts but particularly for its highly-rated dining experience.

In the home’s latest CQC report, inspectors wrote: ‘Every meal was outstanding.

‘Tables were decorated with tablecloths and matching napkins. Food was transported to people's rooms on silver trays with a flower in a vase and cover for the tray.

'Food was covered and delivered hot on warm plates. Gravy and sauces were placed in individual jugs and staff asked how much people wanted.’

Inspectors heard from a health care professional who said: 'Residents are definitely treated with dignity. For example, they can get up at 10.30am and have their breakfast in bed.'

Man with dementia ‘lapped up’ Jamaican jerk chicken

CQC inspectors spent three days at the care home, which is registered to support up to 96 people. Upon arrival, they found menus planned based on the questionnaire results of residents or their families.

The care home has a Masterchef Academy and its kitchen is overseen by chef manager Adrian Silagi, whose team includes chef Cosmin Cristea and kitchen assistants. The kitchen creates dishes and develops a pureed version, before all dishes are photographed to help residents choose what they want.

Staff in the kitchen proved crucial when it came to the care of a man with dementia who was not eating much.

When the chef decided to cook up spicy jerk chicken with rice and other dishes from the resident’s home country of Jamaica, the man began eating with gusto.

A staff member told carehome.co.uk: ”He really lapped it up.” His relative said: "I am so impressed with the efforts [the chef] made.”

Mr Silagi oversees all 13 of the care homes operated by care provider Nellsar Care Homes.

Winner of Surrey Care Associations Ancillary Worker of the Year award in 2018, he attends national forums and conferences.

Adrian Silagi said: "I attend all these to learn how to implement the good practice for our residents' needs; to inform me from specialists in my field. We bring all this learning home.”

Inspectors also discovered all staff undergo training including learning about sexuality and relationship training, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, dementia awareness and safeguarding. All staff, regardless of their role, are helped to gain higher training awards.

"We have to have six [base] trainings in place before you can even step on the floor", a member of staff told inspectors.

GP: ‘Excellent’ end of life care

GPs ensure 'rounds' at the care home take place twice a week. A GP informed inspectors: “The end of life care is excellent with many patients being referred to Princess Christian from hospitals and local hospice. From what we have experienced [from Princess Christian] we have picked up and improved our work [as a GP surgery] due to their good practice".

Residents are allowed to get involved in the care home’s upkeep, whether that be preparing the restaurant for meals or cleaning windows. A resident who used to work as a painter and decorator and wanted to continue to doing so, was able to select paint with care workers and decorate parts of the care home.

“They asked if I wanted to paint the corridors upstairs. It was nice; it made me feel useful", the resident said.

‘They are straight on it. I’ve never had to complain’

“Pampered, that's what I am – pampered” one resident told inspectors.

A relative of a resident said: "Anything I ask them to do for him they are straight on it. I've never had to complain, and I don't think I'd need to because if I said I had a problem with anything they would listen and sort it out."

Another resident summed up the care with the words: "The staff are wonderful, loving and so caring. They will come and give me a cuddle sometimes. This is absolutely the best place.”

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