Eothen Residential Homes - Wallsend

Updated 6 December 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Eothen Residential Homes Wallsend is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Eothen Residential Homes Wallsend is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 4 July 2023 and ended on 23 August 2023. We visited the service on 4 July 2023 and 23 August 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who worked with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 7 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 10 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, 1 senior, 1 house leader, 3 care assistants, 1 domestic cleaner, 1 catering assistant and the chef. We gained feedback from external professionals.

We reviewed a range of records. This included people's care and medication records. We looked at staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records relating to the management of the service. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were reviewed.

Updated 6 December 2023

About the service

Eothen Residential Homes Wallsend is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 64 people. The service provides support to older people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 62 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Feedback about the service from staff, people and those close to them was consistent and

exceptionally positive. One person told us “It’s great here, people are very friendly, and the staff are nice. If you ask them for something, they will always help. It’s a home away from home.” One relative told us “This home is excellent, I have no issues whatsoever, I have been in many care homes for my line of work and this one is excellent. They have an incredibly sensitive manager who has supported me and my family throughout. I wish we had more home likes this one.”

Risks to people were identified and systems were in place to reduce them, including falls, skin integrity, eating and drinking, and accessible means for people to go outdoors. Health and safety checks were regularly conducted. Accidents and incidents were recorded, and actions were taken to mitigate the risk of reoccurrence. Lessons were learned and shared across the staff teams as required, with reflective practice sessions being available so staff could learn what to do better next time.

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and knew how to do this. The service had enough safely recruited staff who were appropriately skilled and knew people's needs to help keep them safe.

Assessments were person centred and care was very responsive to people's needs. There was an established and motivated staff team highly trained to carry out their roles effectively. The service and home environment was accessible and had been adapted to meet people's needs.

Distinctive leadership at location and provider level had achieved a service that was effective and responsive. The service was innovative and dedicated to ensuring continuous quality improvement to make a real difference for people. The provider worked alongside local universities who undertook research projects around care and wellbeing. For example, the service had been part of a research project about the benefits on people if staff didn’t wear uniforms. One relative told us how this made a difference, “I like that they don’t wear uniforms, I feel it puts everyone at ease.”

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The building was well-maintained, spacious and had plenty of room for activities. Throughout the home there were no restrictions, all residents could access all floors, gardens and communal areas as they wished. The gardens were enclosed and designed so people looped around the home and could easily find their way back in. This was well received by people and their relatives. One relative told us, “Security is excellent, nothing is locked which doesn’t restrict people, but all external doors are alarmed, if someone goes outside, they know where people are and can still keep an eye of them.”

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published October 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service is now outstanding based on the findings of this inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Eothen Residential Homes Wallsend on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.