CQC Rating

The Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE) is celebrating being graded Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for services for those impacted by dementia, in the first inspection since the charity registered with the CQC in 2013. Leadership and the caring nature of RICE staff were highly praised, with all aspects of the service rated as Good or Outstanding.

Achieving this highly coveted rating is a huge achievement for the charity, particularly during the pandemic when staff were under such immense pressure.

We were particularly pleased that our service was considered both exceptional and innovative in its outlook and that all our team here at RICE were experts in the field of dementia diagnosis, care and treatment.   RICE ensures that the knowledge we gain is shared more widely through our research to others working in the field of dementia and older people’s healthcare issues and this was also noted within the CQC report.

We were assessed in five CQC key areas: –

Overall rating for this location –                                Outstanding

Are services safe?                                                         Good

Are services effective?                                                  Good

Are services caring?                                                      Outstanding

Are services responsive to people’s needs?        Good

Are services well-led?                                                   Outstanding

Professor Roy Jones , Director of RICE for more than 37 years, began the RICE memory clinic, one of the oldest in the country, in 1987.  He said:  “we are delighted with our outstanding rating and that the CQC consider us an exemplar service. I am particularly pleased that the CQC has acknowledged our expertise within the dementia research area but that this is combined with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect for people with dementia and their loved ones.   This has always been my goal since the clinic began. Over the years I have been privileged to work with an outstanding team and this has been highlighted with the commitment that the current team of clinical and support staff have made to continue to provide a top-quality service for all our patients and their families during the pandemic.”

Melissa Hillier, who joined the RICE team in February 2022 as Chief Executive Officer commented, “ The CQC report has been an absolute joy to read, and is a testament to the dedication and hard work of Professor Roy Jones and the team here at RICE. They have all worked tirelessly over the last two extremely challenging years to ensure that we could continue diagnosing those with dementia, involving people in their own care and being innovative and creative with how we communicated to our families and the wider research and clinical communities.  It has not been an easy task and to have an Outstanding report from the CQC really does lift our spirits and is a true recognition of all the teams expertise and experience. 

Joanna Scammell, Head of Commissioning at HCRG Care Group, who manage the RICE centre contract on behalf of the CCG, said “it is fantastic to see the RICE centre commended on their excellent quality of service provided for the Community of Bath and North East Somerset. The CQC feedback reflects how focused RICE services are around the needs of local people. Congratulations to all the team”

Areas highlighted in the CQC report: –

• The leadership, management and governance of the organisation assures the delivery of high-quality and person-centred care, supports learning and innovation, and promotes an open and fair culture.
• Staff were recognised experts in the field of dementia diagnosis, care and treatment. Patients experienced an effective holistic and evidence-based needs assessment, care and treatment at the clinic resulting from leading research carried out there.
• The service provides support services to help reduce distress, agitation, disorientation and anxiety for patients with dementia and to support their families and carers. Feedback from patients and their carers obtained every year since 1985, was consistently rated as high for compassionate care.
• Staff felt respected, supported and valued and were proud to work for the service.
• Staff empowered patients, families and carers, providing a rolling programme of support groups to understand their condition, make decisions about their care, treatment and support they needed.
• Staff were exceptional in enabling patients to retain their independence providing courses to improve quality of living with dementia, for example ways to stimulate memory and function.
• RICE initiated and took part in global research studies to develop effective treatments for dementia and related conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
• The service led quality improvement initiatives at national and international levels with the aim of enhancing the lives of people living with dementia and providing support to their carers.
• Staff had gone the extra mile during the COVID-19 pandemic to support patients and their carers. Home visits were carried out, with the appropriate protection in place, and additional telephone calls made, to provide support for vulnerable patients.