A care home in Cwmbran has been celebrating following a recent food hygiene inspection. 

Thistle Court Care Home, located in Cwmbran, is proud to announce that it has been awarded the highest possible food hygiene rating of five stars.

This prestigious rating, given by the Food Standards Agency following an inspection on Tuesday, September 17, reflects the care home’s commitment to maintaining impeccable standards of cleanliness and food safety.

Claire-Louise Downing, the head chef of Thistle Court Care Home said: “I am so proud of the team. We have all worked so hard for this and it is nice to receive recognition for all our efforts. Well done Team Thistle."

For the Thistle Court residents, who we fondly refer to as family members, high standards of food hygiene means that meals are prepared in a safe and carefully managed environment, which reduces the risk of illness and promotes overall health.

Family members can enjoy nutritious meals without worry, contributing to their physical and emotional wellbeing.

The Food Hygiene Rating Act 2013 became law in Wales on March 4, 2013, requiring all businesses selling food in Wales - including pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels, takeaways, schools, hospitals, canteens, care homes and corner shops – to display hygiene ratings in a prominent place, and to provide the information verbally if requested over the phone.

Inspections are carried out by the local authority officers, and ratings - from zero, meaning urgent improvement is necessary or they may risk closure; to five, meaning standards are excellent - are updated on the FSA website.

Each inspection is carried out under three specific categories.

These are hygienic food handling, which covers the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage; cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, which involves the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control, to enable good food hygiene; and management of food safety which covers the system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future. 

Thistle Court were graded as good in both hygienic food handling and cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and very good under management of food safety. 

Thistle Court is proud to be able to offer  family members a number of options when it comes to their meals, depending on the individual needs.

 The home’s approach to life recognises the values, beliefs and identity of each person.

Each person that may need support is unique and by understanding one’s life history, one’s journey in life, by striving to be a true continuation of home, the team at Thistle Court Home create a place where everyone feels safe and never alone.

To find out more about Thistle Court Care Home visit their website.