HRH The Princess Royal helps celebrate 'Outstanding' service in Gloucestershire
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has visited Moreton-in-Marsh to celebrate the achievements of a learning disability service which has been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Gloucestershire DCA (Domiciliary Care Agency) is run by the national learning disabilities charity Hft and supports people to live independently in their own homes. In June 2017, following its inspection to determine whether the service was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, the service was rated as ‘Outstanding’ in two of the five areas and as ‘good’ in the other three. The service was awarded an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ - placing it in the top two per cent of adult social care services inspected by CQC.
On Friday (19th January) to mark the achievement, The Princess Royal, who is a dedicated Hft Patron, returned to the Moreton-in-Marsh site which Her Royal Highness officially opened in 1998 when it provided residential services. Today the site is mostly supported living houses and services range from supporting people in managing their own homes, to taking part in daily activities, finding work, making friends and developing relationships. The service also runs day services from a drop-in centre, which provides courses and activities, and is situated in the heart of the local community.
The visit began with the opportunity to meet some of the people Hft supports in their own home and the staff who support them. This included being shown around the property and hearing more about their personal experiences.
The second part of the event took place in the Manor House Hotel in the village. On arrival at the hotel Her Royal Highness met with more than 50 invited guests including people supported by the charity, their families, staff and supporters. Among the guests was Hft’s Regional Manager for Worcestershire, Jeannette Rix, who has worked for the charity for the last 30 years. During that time she has overseen the development of services across Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire, which included launching and managing the original Moreton-in-Marsh service.
Speaking after the event, Chief Executive of Hft Robert Longley-Cook, said: “We are delighted that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has returned to our Moreton service to see how the support we offer has changed to meet the evolving needs of the people we support. It is our passionate belief that personalised services within the community enable people to thrive and grow so that they can live active and fulfilling lives.
“As a dedicated Hft Patron it was fitting that The Princess Royal was able to join us today to celebrate the success of our ‘Outstanding’ rating. This is a real endorsement of the commitment and hard work of the staff team in supporting people to live the best life possible.”
Hft, which was established in 1962, currently supports more than 2,500 people with learning disabilities across the country. The charity uses its own unique Fusion Model to consistently deliver high quality, creative, person-centred support across all its services. Locally, services include supporting people to manage their own homes, make friends and find work.
