“People are happy living at Avalon” say inspectors following review of Priory run care home

• People at the care home have “positive relationships” with staff who “provide support with genuine care and patience”
• Care Inspectorate Wales said residents “can be assured they are living in a safe environment”
• Support is available for people “without delay”
• Staff enjoy working in “a very calm atmosphere”

Priory’s Avalon Care Home in Cardiff, Wales, has been praised for delivering care “with kindness and respect,” following a recent Care Inspectorate Wales review.

Residents at the care home, which provides community focused rehabilitation and recovery services to people with learning disabilities and mental health challenges, told inspectors they were “happy living at Avalon” and had “positive relationships” with carers.

Paul, a resident at Avalon, takes part in a game of rugby with teammates at the Cardiff Chiefs

Inspectors said they saw “people interacting positively with care staff by way of chatting, laughter and banter” and noted how “care staff speak to people nicely and provide support with genuine care and patience.”

Avalon is an enhanced community home in Cardiff, which delivers long and short-term rehabilitation whilst providing a safe environment which facilitates independence and dignity, through the development and review of individual care plans.

The review complimented staff for supporting people’s independence and actively involving those at Avalon “in the assessment of their needs.” It said individual care plans included “people’s personal likes, dislikes and preferences,” and inspectors reported how one person at the home felt “very proud” after staff supported them to achieve a personal goal.

Leon enjoys a sightseeing trip with staff members Les Scrivens and Camilla Oldham

Staff said they are happy working in the home’s “very calm atmosphere” which was deemed as “safe and suitable” by the watchdog. The service has good staffing levels, which means support is available to people “without delay.”

Home manager, Maria Cashin, said: “This report reflects the kind and compassionate environment our staff work hard to nurture here at Avalon. Recovery for the people under our care is our utmost priority, and I’m glad the inspectors witnessed our dedication to providing a safe, high-quality service.”

Rebekah Creswell, Priory Chief Executive Officer, said: “It is important that people are supported to identify and achieve their own goals when it comes to their recovery. This report highlights what residents and their families already knew about a service which facilitates dignity and independence. It is testament to our brilliant staff at Priory; I’m very proud of them.”

ENDS

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About Priory and MEDIAN

Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services. We treat more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across our nationwide network of sites. We also support autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within our specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.

Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, one of Europe’s leading providers of high quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises 290 facilities with 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people in the UK, 120 facilities with 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients in Germany, and 15 facilities with 2,000 beds caring for 13,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees overall.