Top report for new ‘model’ care centre

A remodelled Derbyshire County Council care home has been rated Good in all five areas by the Care Quality Commission – impressing inspectors with its caring and attentive staff and excellent integrated working between health and social care teams.

Inspectors from the CQC rated Bennerley Fields ‘good’ overall, noting it was well led and managed and provided high-quality care and good outcomes for the people who stay there.

Residents said they enjoyed the spacious and comfortable surroundings where they felt safe and were treated with compassion, kindness and respect by staff.

Owned by the county council and run jointly with NHS partners, the care centre in Cotmanhay was remodelled in 2025 to become a specialist assessment and reablement centre – with 40 beds to support hospital discharge. It is one of three county council care homes to undergo the transformation.

Previously it was run as a ‘mixed model’ care home, looking after both long-term and short-term residents.

Now its beds are used to support short-term goal-focussed assessment, rehabilitation and enablement to help Derbyshire residents regain confidence and increase their independence so they can return home wherever possible. This could be following a hospital stay or to help avoid hospital admission by giving Derbyshire residents extra short-term support if they’ve had a setback in health.

The change in use is part of the transformation of the county council’s in-house direct care service to create a sustainable service for the future and to support more people to live independently at home.

Welcoming the inspector’s good rating, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult care Councillor Joss Barnes said: “This is an excellent report and shows our new way of working is having a positive impact.

“We’re working more closely with our health partners to give people the intensive support they need and the inspectors recognise this more collaborative, single model of care is proving to be very effective.

“People tell us they want to live independently at home, in their communities, among friends and family, for as long as they can. And with the right support in the right place they can.

“Evidence shows we’re able to help people return home sooner following a stay at Bennerley.”

The team of inspectors from the CQC found Bennerley to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led – rating it ‘good’ in all areas.

Inspectors said it “maximises the effectiveness of people’s care”, adding that the home demonstrated it put people at the centre of their care.

“There was a positive atmosphere of teamwork and staff clearly knew each other and understood each other’s roles,” added the inspectors.

Their findings were backed up by residents and their families, with one resident telling inspectors – ‘all staff are very good and very friendly’ – while the family of another noted – ‘I can’t fault the care’.

The CQC report states: “People and their relatives told us they were happy with the standard of care they received at Bennerley Fields Centre. People told us staff and leaders were caring and attentive, responding quickly to meet their needs. People were appreciative of the intensive support they received to recover from injuries or illnesses which had limited their mobility.”

Dean Wallace, chief operating officer at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS), said: “DCHS is incredibly proud of the joint work being undertaken by our respective staff teams to support people at Bennerely Fields.

“We continue to work with our social care colleagues to strengthen this further as we move towards greater integrated working later this year. We are both committed to helping as many people as possible to return home quickly after hospital, or to remain at home rather than need a hospital admission, by using our shared expertise to support people holistically with their health and care needs.”

Councillor Barnes added: “This report is a testament to all the hard work put in by our staff as well as our partners in health who have helped Bennerley achieve such a good report. I’d like to thank them all for their dedication and commitment.”