THE South West is ranked third in England for the best-performing care homes, according to new figures.

A new report from online training provider High Speed Training has revealed the regions within England with the best performing care homes.

High Speed Training has conducted an in-depth analysis of CQC data for over 13,500 care homes across England to explore the current landscape of care quality. The report reveals a sector demonstrating significant resilience and a strong commitment to excellence, with the vast majority of providers meeting or exceeding national standards.

According to the report, 82.7 per cent of all care providers in England are currently rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, with 78.36 per cent of all care homes in England rated "Good."

The North East takes the top spot as the highest-performing region, with an impressive 91.50 per cent of its care homes rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. London followed closely in second place (89.76 per cent), also ranking as the most consistent region, with 87.34 per cent of its homes achieving the ‘Good’ rating, the highest in the country.

Completing the top three was the South West, with 88.38 per cent of homes in the region rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.

The report identifies that the highest-performing homes are increasingly ‘digitally mature,’ using real-time evidence and digital record-keeping to align with the CQC’s data-led assessment style.

The data also shows an overwhelming success rate in the ‘Caring’ pillar. Out of 38,548 total ratings recorded across the CQC’s five core questions, 99.6 per cent of all homes are rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ for Caring.

Well-led is the most challenging pillar for the industry to master. It accounts for more ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ ratings than any other category. You are 7 times more likely to find a shortfall in ‘Well-led’ than you are in ‘Caring’. This confirms that governance, auditing, and leadership are the most difficult standards for providers to maintain consistency.

Dr Richard Anderson, director of learning at High Speed Training, said: “The ratings provided by the CQC are a really important part of the care home landscape, as they give the public an accessible way to assess the quality of care available to them.

“Our report shows that, across England, standards are really high, with almost 83 per cent of care homes across England receiving a rating of ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. These ratings are a direct reflection of how safely and effectively that establishment operates, and we urge both the homes themselves, and the people who use them, to take them seriously.

“For establishments that perform well, a high rating can be a real signal of trust. However, establishments with a lower rating can be off-putting, which can ultimately have a significant impact on reputation.

“The high average ratings show that a commitment to proper and safe practices, including a robust program of staff training, are crucial to keep performing at high standards.”