A CARE home in Christchurch passed a recent inspection from health regulators with flying colours.

Queensmead in Bronte Avenue retained its 'Good' overall rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after an announced visit last month.

The Care South home, which caters for 40 elderly people, received the positive review across the five key assessment areas, highlighting the service is performing well and meeting expectations.

Inspectors from the CQC praised the strong bond between residents and staff at Queensmead, along with a "deep understanding" and "empathy" for each of the home's residents.

Simon Bird, Care South chief executive, said: “This is just reward for the team at Queensmead in Christchurch and reflected well on our home manager, Tracey Walker, and her whole team who live our heart values in everything they do.”

Throughout the two-day inspection, staff were observed to be knowledgeable about each resident, including their care needs, interests and histories.

Residents spoke positively of the caring nature of the team and the friendly and relaxed environment in which they lived. Relatives of those living in the home who were present during the inspection also said how welcome they felt when they visited.

The report published by the CQC, which is available online, said: "The culture of the home was open and friendly with people, their families and the staff team feeling able to contribute to the development of the service.

"Staff understood their roles and responsibilities, spoke proudly of teamwork and felt appreciated in their roles."

Last year, Queensmead retained its platinum status from the National Gold Standards Framework Centre and became one of just 62 homes across England to have held on to the prestigious award.