Archived: Seaside Cottage

Updated 19 August 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 02 June 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and a specialist advisor. A specialist advisor is someone who has up to date knowledge and experience in a specific field. The specialist advisor who took part in this inspection was a paediatric nurse and had a background in the care of children with a physical disability.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service. This included any safeguarding referrals and statutory notification that had been sent to us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

On the day of the inspection there were three young people using the service and we spoke to one of them about their experience of Seaside Cottage. Two of the young people did not communicate verbally so we undertook a number of observations of care delivery. We spoke with the registered manager, one of the company directors and four care staff. We reviewed three care and support plans, medication administration records, recruitment files, staffing rotas and records relating to the quality and safety monitoring of the service. Following the inspection we spoke with six relatives, a member of staff and three visiting professionals about the service provided.

Updated 19 August 2016

The inspection took place on the 02 June 2016 and was unannounced. The last inspection of this service was carried out in 2013 and the requirements of the regulations we inspected were met.

Seaside cottage is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide treatment of disease disorder and injury and personal care. The service is also registered with Ofsted as a children’s home and had a full inspection in October 2015 and was rated outstanding.

The service provides residential care to four young people. The primarily aim of the service is to provide respite care for children with complex physical disabilities who have associated health conditions. The average length of stay was between eight to ten days, although one young person lived at the service on a permanent basis. The manager told us that the service regularly supported between 15 to 20 children. A domiciliary care service also operated from the location to assist the transition for children being discharged from hospital with complex needs and we looked at this as part of the inspection. At the time of our inspection two children were being supported by the domiciliary care agency.

There was a registered manager in post on the day of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Relatives and professionals spoke very positively about the service and the quality of care that was provided and this contributed to the rating of outstanding in caring. People told us that the service went the extra mile to support families and accommodate the young people and their needs. The staff worked closely with families to ensure a smooth transition and to promote the young people’s wellbeing. We observed that there was a very friendly, warm atmosphere in the service and staff interacted with the young people in a compassionate and supportive way. Independence was promoted and young people were enabled to be as independent as they could be. There was a culture of respect within the service and treating the young people as individuals.

Staff knew the young people and had good relationships with them. Communication was given a high priority and there was a range of communication systems in use, with young people supported to make their views known and have choices. The focus was on enabling them to lead a full life, enjoy new experiences and have fun during their stay at the service.

Staff had a good awareness of safeguarding and there were sufficient numbers of trained staff available to meet the needs of the young people. The management of the home were committed to providing a good service and invested in training and developing the skills and knowledge of staff. Young people had complex needs and advice was sought appropriately from health care professionals. There were clear processes in place for assessment and review to ensure that changes in young people’s health and wellbeing were identified. The care was underpinned by detailed care plans and risk assessments which ensured that care was delivered in a consistent way and young people preferences were met.

The providers and manager were accessible and visible. They set high standards and were keen to innovate and develop the service. Morale was high and staff told us that they were well supported and enjoyed their role. There were clear systems in place to reflect on practice and drive improvement.