A care home in Epsom welcomed the mayor as it celebrated receiving an 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently.

Epsom and Ewell Mayor John Beckett joined staff and residents at the Appleby House care home in Epsom, who celebrated in style with a Mexican Mariachi band.

The festivities followed the home being named "Outstanding" in four out of five categories by CQC inspectors at the end of April — the first care home in Surrey to achieve such an impressive rating from the CQC.

"We were delighted to bring everyone together for an afternoon of celebrations," Shona Bradbury, home manager at Appleby House said.

"We’re the first home in the county to hold this accolade and the party was an excellent way to mark this special occasion," she added.

"We haven’t stopped smiling since being awarded the ‘outstanding’ CQC rating, and wanted to invite the local community to celebrate with us," Ms Bradbury said.

During the inspection, team members were applauded for their exceptional response to people's emotional needs.

Staff in all roles at Appleby House were recognized as highly motivated and provided support in a kind and compassionate way that exceeded expectations.

One relative told the inspectors, "There's not one team member here that I don't think truly cares or sees this as just as job."

The CQC report detailed how team members at the Epsom care home wear ‘Butterfly Model’ embellishments, these are items such as Minnie Mouse ears and colourful things in their hair.

The ‘Butterfly Model’ is about creating a vibrant environment, and means wearing items which help to engage and spark conversation with residents living with dementia.

After the celebrations, staff and residents at Appleby House have joined several others in the area gearing up for the Care Home Open Day on Friday June 28.

Sherwood Grange, in Kingston Vale, will be open from 2.30pm-4.30pm and Appleby House itself will be open from 11am-4pm.

Milner House, in Leatherhead, will be open from 1pm-5pm and Norfolk House, in Weybridge, will be open from 10.30am-4pm.

The four homes have organised art-themed parties to celebrate the open day, with entertainment, activities and creative fun.

"Visitors can look forward to polishing their artistic skills during arts and crafts sessions at Sherwood Grange, where they can create a ceramic item, and enjoy Pimm’s cocktails and canapes.

"At Milner House there will be a garden party with crafting activities for all ages. The care home will also be re-enacting an old photo which was taken outside the home in the late 1920s or early 1930s," a spokesperson said.

Appleby's will meanwhile encourage visitors to join their 'Pillars of the Community' project, helping residents to design and decorate an additional pillar at the care home.

For more details on the open days, go to: careuk.com/carehomeopenday

To view the CQC's full report on Appleby House, go to: https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-139851545