A musician who saw one of her records go platinum has received another accolade after the home care company she runs in Liverpool was rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Kathryn Dion-King starred on the 2 Funky 2 single ‘Brothers & Sisters’, first released in 1993. It became a rave anthem and remains a firm favourite even today, particularly in Liverpool.
She runs Home Instead Senior Care Liverpool Central and North with her husband, Andrew Erskine, whose background is also in the music industry.
He toured the world as a band manager, working with big names including the Beastie Boys, Fat Boy Slim and The Prodigy, and he and Kathryn met when he became her manager in 1993.
The pair made the move from music to caring when they decided to look for a business that would allow them to work together again.
Kathryn said: “We looked at a number of different options, but when we came across the opportunity to open a Home Instead office in Liverpool it really appealed to us.
“We really liked the whole ethos of the business – it seemed very compassionate and understanding, and gave us the opportunity to improve the lives of older people in the area.
“Both of us had successful music careers but we are so glad we found Home Instead. It is amazing to be able to make such a difference to people’s lives.”
Home Instead Senior Care specialises in providing at-home care for the elderly, and the Liverpool office is based in Maghull where Kathryn grew up.
Inspectors from the CQC described the service as ‘exceptionally caring’ and said staff ‘showed a genuine interest and a very caring attitude towards the people they supported’.
The report states: “All of the people we spoke with told us staff were very caring and had developed very positive relationships with them.”
One relative quoted in the report said: “From the moment their smiling faces enter my parents’ home they will assist them with their personal care and treat them with respect.”
They were also commended for the training programme provided to staff, which equips them with all the knowledge and skills needed, and the on-going support systems in place.
Community involvement has included offering dementia awareness training to the public in an effort to create a ‘dementia friendly town’.
Kathryn added: “We are absolutely thrilled to be rated outstanding, and would like to thank our Director of Care, Lindsay Baccino, all of our brilliant staff and especially our wonderful caregivers for making it possible.”
Only two per cent of adult social care providers have been rated outstanding since the introduction of CQC’s new Ofsted-style approach to inspection and regulation in 2015 making this Liverpool business a leading light in the care sector.
Part of a national network of over 190 offices, Home Instead is now firmly established as the leading home care provider for the elderly. Nationally Home Instead holds a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in recognition of the company’s innovative care model, which places clients at the heart of the care they receive and includes matching clients to caregivers based on shared interests.
