A Maldon care home has been found 'oustanding' by the Quality and Care Commission (CQC) after ensuring that none of its residents contracted Covid-19 throughout the pandemic.

Firstlings retirement home, in the Street, Heybridge, has a reputation for excellence, having received an 'outstanding' rating in 2019 - but its achievement in keeping the establishment coronavirus free has been highlighted in the CQC report.

The report states that "the management team led by example and worked as part of the team" to keep the deadly disease out of the home and the 32 elderly residents safe.

However, Firstlings manager Tina Bentley told Maldon Nub News that she was "overwhelmed" with pride in the entire staff and repeatedly emphasised that she included every person who works at the home in that, from carers to cleaners and cooks and her deputy, Kerry Taylor.

She said: "I couldn't be any more proud. This really is about every single person who works here, whatever they do. I want to mention every single one of them. We are a family unit and it's the feedback of our residents and their families that has made the most difference to us. Everything we do is for them."

Tina added: "We managed to lock down early to safeguard everyone here and every member of staff was so careful in what they did inside and outside to make sure the residents were safe."

The report tells how the Covid-free achievement is even more remarkable, given that three new residents were taken in during the pandemic.

Use of risk assessments, to help determine who were the most vulnerable residents, plus the carefully socially-distanced visits of relatives in the garden are also mentioned in the report.