Nightingale in South London has received the first overall outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission for a Jewish home for the elderly.

It was also graded as outstanding in three of the five inspection categories — for caring, responsiveness and being well led. The rating puts the Clapham home among the top one per cent of care homes nationwide.

The CQC said that when its inspectors visited, the home was caring for 180 people, the majority with dementia.

They witnessed “an open and inclusive culture. People and their relatives spoke positively about the service’s management and leadership style. They typically described the culture in the home as being open, transparent and mutually supportive.” Staff were kind and compassionate.

Residents were supported to do as much as they could “to retain control and independence over their lives”.

Debbie Ivanova, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector of adult social care, said the report depicted Nightingale as “clearly a great place to live with caring management and motivated staff. I was particularly excited to hear about the intergenerational work [there is a nursery on the site] and the benefits this has on the people living in the home.”

Nightingale Hammerson chief executive Helen Simmons said the rating was “great testament to the devotion, care and dedication that our team offers all year round.

“We are immensely proud to have been recognised for providing such a stimulating, nurturing environment where every person is treated as an individual. Person-centred care is at the heart of our ethos. What it comes down to is that we really care — and that is the Nightingale Hammerson difference.”

The charity is also undertaking a major redevelopment of its North London home, Hammerson, which will extend provision at the two homes to more than 300 people.