Eothen Residential Homes - Whitley Bay

Updated 19 March 2026

Date of assessment: 1 July to 27 July 2026. Eothen Residential Homes – Whitley Bay is a residential care home, which provides accommodation for up to 35 older people. They do not provide a service for people living with a dementia. At the time of the inspection 32 people were using the service.

People consistently told us they felt safe, happy and well supported by kind, compassionate staff who knew them well and treated them with dignity and respect. We observed warm and positive interactions throughout the home and found people were supported to maintain their independence, make choices and remain connected to their local community through a wide range of activities, community links and personalised opportunities. Staff worked closely with healthcare professionals and specialist organisations, to ensure people's changing health needs were met and equitable outcomes achieved.

The provider and staff demonstrated a strong commitment to evidence-based practice, research and innovation, with learning from national research programmes and partnerships actively used to improve people's experiences and quality of life. People were encouraged to participate in research projects, share their experiences and contribute to improvements within the organisation. Staff had also visited care services in the Netherlands to gain an understanding of the innovative models of care they used there. The registered manager was determining how the learning could be implemented.

The provider had made significant environmental improvements, including refurbishment works, enhanced communalspacesand improved access to outdoor areas. People,relativesand staff were positive about the quality of the environment,foodand activities available. The providerdemonstrateda strong commitment to learning,innovationand continuous improvement through research partnerships, participation in nationalstudiesand adopting learning into practice. Staff were well trained,supportedandgenerally describeda positive culture with approachable leaders who promoted teamwork and shared values.

People, relatives and staff were overwhelmingly positive about the leadership, culture and environment. The management team promoted a person-centred, inclusive and compassionate culture where people were encouraged to share feedback and influence the development of the service.

However, we identified areas where improvement was needed. For 20 years the provider has used the same staffing model, which does not follow the recommended staffing levels on their dependency tool. Whilst people told us they felt safe and call bell records indicated timely responses. The provider could not fully explain or show how the current levels at night ensured staff could effectively attend to more than 2 people, meet other people’s needs whilst supporting individuals who needed 2 staff, ensure risk was managed, deal with emergencies, and complete the assigned domestic tasks. The provider undertook to review and resolve this matter.

People were not always given opportunities to socialise, relax, enjoy and have flexibility during the evenings. Staff were working to structured routines which were ‘task focused’ rather than person centred. Staff undertook various domestic duties during evening hours which meant they were not always available for more relaxed time with people, where they could enjoy evening activities. Our conversations showed people felt there was a definite ‘bedtime’ and this did not promote person centred care. We raised this with the registered manager who undertook to ensure activities were provided in the evenings.

The governance systems had not consistently identified concerns relating to overnight staffing arrangements, environmental risks, risk assessment documentation and Mental Capacity Act recording. The management team responded positively to feedback and took prompt action to address concerns raised during the assessment.

Overall, staff continued to provide good-quality, person-centred care supported by a positive culture of learning, partnership working and innovation, with managers committed to continuous improvement and achieving positive outcomes for people.

Updated 19 March 2026

People were positive about their experience of living at Eothen Residential Homes - Whitley Bay. People consistently told us they felt safe, happy and well supported by kind, caring staff who knew them well and treated them with dignity and respect. A person said, “I’m very safe in here and as such I’ll willingly see out my days in here. My room is lovely and the staff work well together to keep it that way.” Relatives spoke warmly about the compassionate care their family members received and described the home as friendly, welcoming and homely. Many told us staff knew people as individuals and responded quickly when their needs changed. A relative said, “[Person’s name] care needs are met perfectly. I have absolutely no concerns and very much value the staff and the service they provide.”

People told us they were supported to remain independent. Staff encouraged people to personalise their rooms, make decisions about their routines, maintain relationships with family and friends and continue participating in community and faith-based activities that were important to them. A person said, “The care is wonderful and they give me full respect and dignity but not at the expense of enjoying their company.”

Some people were unable to share their views verbally, so we used structured observation to understand their experience. During the inspection we saw relaxed, warm interactions between staff and people. Staff consistently spoke with people in a warm and unrushed way. They offered reassurance when people appeared disorientated or distressed and had a depth of knowledge about them, which they used when supporting people. People were supported in ways that promoted dignity, respect and independence.

Feedback about meals and the environment was consistently positive. People and relatives described the food as high quality and told us people enjoyed home-cooked meals and had choice about what they ate. Relatives also spoke positively about the home's gardens, communal areas and ongoing improvements to the environment.

People and relatives told us there were generally enough staff to meet people's needs and that staff responded promptly when support was required. Staff were described as approachable, attentive and committed to providing person-centred care. People and relatives also expressed confidence in raising concerns and told us any issues were addressed appropriately.

Although feedback was largely positive, a small number of relatives felt activities could be more consistent and suggested there could be additional organised engagement at times, particularly during evenings or when activity staff were unavailable. Some people commented they were at times concerned about people being able to access the service from the cemetery. The management team were responsive to these observations and committed to ongoing improvement.

Overall, people experienced good-quality, person-centred care from a staff team who were compassionate, responsive and committed to achieving positive outcomes. People, relatives and staff were proud of the service and described a positive culture where people were encouraged to have a voice and influence their care and support.