- Care home
Seaham View
Report from 14 March 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment 12 April to 15 May 2024. Seaham View is a care home providing accommodation and personal care to a maximum of 12 people with a learning disability. There were 11 people living at the service when we visited. A responsive assessment was carried out after concerns were received relating to staffing, medicines, nutrition, management, and dignity and respect towards people. We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, Right care, Right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgments about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. Although the service accommodates more people than recommended in the guidance, the service was meeting the underpinning principles of ‘Right support, Right care, Right culture’. Medicines were given safely, however, some medicine documentation needed to improve. There were enough trained staff who worked with people to provide person-centred care. Systems supported people to have detailed assessments and support plans that considered their needs and wishes and promoted consistent care. Support plans gave staff guidance about how to support people’s complex needs such as around communication and managing periods of anxiety. There was a focus on independence and improving people’s outcomes. The provider worked in partnership with relatives and professionals. Staff promoted equality and diversity and encouraged people to have full lives. People had choice and control and were supported in the least restrictive way. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Managers were accessible and approachable. There was a robust quality assurance system to assess the standards of care and continually learn and improve.
People's experience of this service
People and relatives told us people were happy in the service. One person told us, “Everyone here wants to celebrate my birthday, they make me happy, and I really like it here.” We observed positive interactions between people and staff. People appeared relaxed in staff company and staff treated people with respect. Some people who used the service had limited verbal communication, however, staff knew people well and were able to respond to their wants and needs. We saw people being supported to be more independent and take part in activities of their choice. All the relatives we spoke with gave positive feedback about the service. They told us they felt people were safe and were supported to do things of their choosing. Several relatives told us their family member enjoyed living at Seaham View and felt it was their home. One relative told us, “My [family member] says it is the best place they have lived”. Another said, “The biggest compliment is that my [family member] refers to Seaham View as their home”. Relatives told us they were involved in developing their family member’s support plans and they were involved when needs changed. They told us people were supported to build relationships and to achieve their aims and goals. Some people had advocates to help them express their views and act on their behalf. The provider encouraged people to express their view and give feedback on the service. People and relatives felt the provider listened to them and made changes to improve the service.