The Russets

1 Pegasus Place, Sandford, Winscombe BS25 5AD
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9.7 28 Reviews
  • The Russets, Winscombe
The Russets is adjacent to the award-winning Sandford Station retirement village, situated in Sandford, North Somerset - an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Owned and managed by the established south west charity, the St Monica Trust, each element of the development has been carefully designed with the needs of older people in mind.

The Russets, which featured in the Guardian newspaper and scooped 'the most innovative new dementia project in the UK in 2009' accolade is a 73-bed care home specially designed for people living with dementia.

Individual 15-bed 'bungalows' offer a homely environment amongst familiar people and each house is designed to foster a high level of intimacy by naturally dividing shared areas in order that small groups of individuals are more closely involved with one another.

Each bungalow offers easy access to the beautiful secure garden and clubhouse at the centre of the home.

Sherwood, opened in 2010, provides 24-hour general needs nursing care in a distinctive care home made up of 30 en-suite rooms, each one with views of the nearby hills and fully equipped with the specialist facilities needed to give residents maximum opportunity to enjoy their surroundings.
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Care Provided

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia
  • Physical Disability

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Nursing Care
  • Dementia Nursing Care
  • For a maximum of 105 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Moderate Dementia
  • Advanced/Complex Dementia

Other Care Provided

  • Palliative / End of Life Care

Facilities

  • Minibus or other transport
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Ground Floor Accommodation only
  • Gardens
  • Phone Point in own room
  • Television point in own room

Good to Know

Group/Owner

Person in charge

  • Jo Bray (Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Criteria

  • Ages 65+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: Yes
  • Number of floors: 1

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (105)
  • Single Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (105)

Visiting

  • Visiting is available in line with government guidelines. Details can be found on the website.

Parking

  • Plenty of free parking is usually available.

The Russets Reviews (28)

9.7

The Russets has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.652) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Russets has 28 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
  • 28
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  • 15
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Reviewer Connection to The Russets
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Total of 28, showing 21-28
Review from S W (Daughter of Resident) published on 21 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since she entered The Russets my mother has consistently been treated with care and kindness. Her individuality, character and foibles are recognised and catered for. This care and consideration have been extended to her family. I particularly appreciate the high standards that apply to communication
and keeping us informed.
Reply from Joanne Bray, Care Home Manager at The Russets

Thank you for leaving us such a wonderful review. The individuality of all of our residents is so important to us at The Russets, and we’re pleased to hear this has been recognised, alongside our communication which we know is crucial to relatives for their peace of mind. Your lovely words will be passed on to the team.

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Review from A P (Niece of Resident) published on 10 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am extremely happy with the care my aunt receives. She is very happy at The Russets and I am impressed with all of the staff she comes into contact with. They all treat her with kindness, consideration and respect. I am kept fully aware of all matters concerning her care and welfare. I would have
no hesitation in recommending The Russets to anyone.
Reply from Joanne Bray, Care Home Manager at The Russets

Thank you for leaving such a wonderful review. I am so glad to hear that your aunt is happy here at The Russets. She is a wonderful woman and we’re very privileged to know her. It’s great that you are happy with the communication you receive and the care provided – I will pass this on to the team who will be so grateful to receive your comments.

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Review from Lyn C (Wife of Resident) published on 8 September 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband has been a resident here for three years, since leaving hospital, following a severe stroke. During that time, he has received the best care. The staff treat residents with kindness and dignity and are very welcoming when we visit. They have very high standards of care and we have every confidence
that my husband receives the best possible attention here. Sometimes, the staff take residents for trips to places of interest, such as the local garden centre, Bristol Harbourside, etc. It has often been possible to join them (prior to COVID) and makes a very enjoyable outing. I know from experience that on occasion, staff come in on their days off to facilitate this - an example of their dedication. A wide variety of activities are available every day, either in the clubhouse or in the individual “houses”. In my view, The Russets is how every care home should be.
Reply from Joanne Bray, Care Home Manager at The Russets

Thank you for leaving such a lovely review, we really appreciate it. It is great to hear that you are happy with the care provided to your husband, we love knowing that our residents and their families feel safe and reassured that they are in good hands! We love running the outings and hope that family and friends will be able to join us again soon. Our team are incredibly dedicated to their roles and see the residents as they do their own family. I will pass your message on to them, as everyone will be so happy to read these comments.

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Review from John Y (Son of Resident) published on 8 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The facilities are superb. My father is in his own en-suite room which opens out to a very large lounge, kitchen and dining area. The gardens are lovely for fresh air. The care staff are magnificent. Extremely pleasant and clearly adore the residents. My mother was also a resident there, and when she
passed away last year a staff member attended the funeral on her day off. I could not fault any of them.
Reply from Joanne Bray, Care Home Manager at The Russets

Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review. We are so happy to hear that you and your father are happy with the facilities and service provided – our team are incredibly passionate about caring for our residents and we have loved getting to know your father, as we did your mother. I will pass your lovely words on to the team who will be thrilled to know how happy you are.

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Review from Shaun C (Son of Resident) published on 27 February 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My Mother was in The Russets for 3 years until her death a week ago.
The facilities and staff are second to none and it was a great comfort to me when she moved there. I do not believe you would be able to find a better Dementia Care Home.
Reply from Ben Dunn, Senior Digital Communications Executive at The Russets

Dear Shaun,


Firstly, we are sorry to hear your news and hope that you are doing as best as is possible. We are glad that we could give your mother a good experience during her time with us at The Russets. Thank you for taking the time to leave this review.


Kind regards

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Review from Hazel D (Daughter of Resident) published on 4 December 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mum was in The Russets for two months prior to her death and received the most fantastic care which went above and beyond my expectations, allowing Mum to die in peace with respect and dignity. Not only was my mum cared for but the staff also found time to care for my family and myself in my mum's
last few days when we visited.
I work in healthcare and the care I saw and experienced at The Russets gives me hope for the care system now and in the future. Thank you.
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Review from Glynis C (Wife of Resident) published on 30 May 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband was in this care home for five weeks up to his death in April 2017. The care he received was second to none. It was delivered with dignity and all the staff from cleaner to kitchen staff. Carers to regional nurses and management. They were all brilliant. I would recommend this care home to
everyone.
Reply from Steven Webster, Marketing and Communications Manager at The Russets

Thank you for taking the time to provide your kind review. We encourage all our staff to have the right attitude and I am glad to see that this has come through.

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Review from Jane D (Wife of Resident) published on 3 October 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband spent 2 1/4 years at this home. Aged 69 with severe dementia it was a difficult decision to put him in care but he loved it. Expensive but worth every penny.
Reply from Steven Webster, Marketing and Communications Manager at The Russets

Thank you very much for your generous review. We're always glad to hear when our residents enjoy themselves.

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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.652)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.652) out of 10 for The Russets is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 15 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.7 out of 5 from 15 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Care Home is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.938 for The Russets is calculated as follows: ( (168 Excellents x 5) + (7 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 177 Ratings = 4.938
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.714 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Russets is based on 15 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the registered maximum number of service users in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Care Home registered for a maximum of 50 service users has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 105 registered maximum number of service users is 21. 15 Positive Reviews ÷ 21 = 0.714
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Care Home does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Regulatory Rating

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 15 Jan 2021

Overall Good

  • Caring Good
  • Effective Good
  • Responsive Good
  • Safe Good
  • Well-led Good
Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England. View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (2)

Joanne

Joanne Bray

Job Title: Care Home Manager Joined: 2015

I’m Jo Bray, and I have the greatest pleasure of being the Care Home Manager, I work with fantastic colleagues who are committed to supporting our residents in any way that they can.


I joined the St Monica Trust family in September 2015 as a Registered Nurse (RN), I later progressed to Lead RN, Deputy Care Home Manager and since October 2019 as Registered Care Home Manager. This progression through the roles informs every part of my job as I have a good understanding of the daily challenges my colleagues face; whether they are carer, housekeeping or hospitality colleagues.


Prior to becoming an RN, I worked in many sectors with very different roles, I was a soldier with the Royal Signals, a Force Operations Room Supervisor for Wiltshire police, and a care support worker to name a few; I just like to feel that I am helping to make positive changes for others. It was when I experienced some ill-health that I knew nursing was my true vocation.


If asked, I would say that my greatest personal achievement would be that I graduated from University with a BSc (Hons) degree whilst being a single parent of 3 lovely children. Currently, on a professional level, I would say that my greatest achievement is the positive relationships I enjoy with my colleagues at The Russets; together we achieved our Good Rating with CQC in December 2020.


The nurturing, caring environment of The Russets reminds me of the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child", because our village enables older people to live the best life that they can.

Rob

Rob Bennington

Job Title: Business Deputy Manager Joined: 2022

I’m Rob Bennington and I am the Business Deputy Manager here at the Russets Care Home. I work under the General Manager and alongside the Clinical Deputy Manager and the Social Care Deputy Manager


I joined St Monica Trust in February 2009 as a Porter at Sandford Station. I was promoted to Senior Porter in November 2009 and became the Business Deputy Manager in the Russets Care Home in June 2022. My working experience and knowledge of the whole site have put me in good stead for my current role allowing me to make decisions for the benefit of all our residents, staff and relatives.


Prior to this role, I have gained a variety of experiences. At 17 years old I joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Combat Medical Technician with active service in Northern Ireland, Namibia and the Gulf War. After completing of 12 years service with the British Army I spent 9 years doing mainly IT work with 5 years at a cosmetic manufacturing company and 4 years with the Management Reporting Team with Royal London’s Pension Review Team.


I am dedicated to ensuring our residents have the best possible experience at home by ensuring all their needs are met. Although my role is not as customer-focused as it used to be I still try and get around to see them all and have a good rapport with them.


I am very committed to St. Monica Trust and the excellent work they do not just on our sites but also with the support they offer in the general community.

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