Eothen Residential Homes - Whitley Bay

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people andtreated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At the last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this. 

This service scored 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff always treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity and respected their privacy and individuality. People consistently described staff as kind, caring and respectful and told us they felt valued and well supported. We observed warm, positive interactions throughout the assessment, with staff speaking to people in a friendly and unhurried manner and taking time to offer reassurance, encouragement and emotional support. A person told us, “We have such lovely workers. They speak to us very nicely,” and another said, “The care is wonderful and they give me full respect and dignity.” Relatives were equally positive and described staff as compassionate and going “above and beyond” to support people and their families. Staff demonstrated empathy and a commitment to helping people maintain their self-esteem and wellbeing, with a staff member telling us, “I try to make them feel good about themselves. I am cheerful and positive with them all the time.”

Staff were exceptional at treating people as individuals and ensuring care, support and treatment fully reflected people’s needs, preferences and identities. always treated people as individuals and delivered care that recognised their personal histories, preferences, interests and values. They knew people well and built meaningful relationships which helped them provide person-centred support. Care planning considered people’s experiences, cultural and spiritual needs, interests and aspirations, while staff supported people to continue activities and relationships that were important to them. The service worked closely with organisations such as a national charity to support people living with visual impairments and made reasonable adjustments including communication aids, large-print materials and technology to help people remain involved in decisions about their lives. People and relatives told us staff understood them as individuals and supported them in ways that reflected their wishes and preferences. A relative said staff knew people personally and treated them as individuals rather than simply providing basic care. We also saw examples of staff helping people maintain lifelong interests, hobbies and friendships, including supporting people to participate in music, community activities and research projects. For example, a person had written and published a book whilst living in the service and were fully supported by staff to complete this endeavour.

Staff promoted people’s independence. They made sure people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. always supported people to maintain their independence, make choices and remain in control of their lives. People were encouraged to make day-to-day decisions about their routines, relationships, activities and care, and staff promoted a culture of positive risk-taking which enabled people to continue doing things that mattered to them. People told us they were given the freedom to do what they wanted and were supported to maintain friendships, attend community groups, go shopping and access places of worship. Staff worked proactively with healthcare professionals and families to support people to remain as independent as possible and plan for future changes in their needs. The service demonstrated a strong commitment to helping people achieve positive outcomes, including supporting people to regain confidence and independence following periods of ill health. A person told us, “They give us the freedom to do what we want and I’ve made new friends.”

Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. People and relatives generally told us staff responded quickly and appropriately when concerns arose, and examples were seen of staff seeking timely medical advice and arranging professional input when required. However, opportunities to meet people’s wider social and emotional needs were not always maximised. Although people enjoyed a varied programme of activities during the day, they were not always given opportunities to socialise, relax, enjoy and have flexibility during the evenings. A person said, “I take part in most of the activities because if you don’t it can be a very long day.” Records did not clearly demonstrate whether this reflected people’s preferences.

The provider did support and enable staff to deliver person-centred care. However, some staff reported workload pressures and described occasions when they did not have enough time to complete all required tasks or take breaks.Concerns were also identified regarding the deployment of staff overnight, which had remained unchanged for many years despite changing levels of dependency. The provider ensured daytime staffing levels were always effective and employed extra staff we employ to keep agency use to a minimum and agreed to review the night staff ratio.

Night staff were positive about how they worked as a team and described regularly supporting each other by working additional shifts to maintain staffing levels, creating a risk of staff becoming overtired. These factors reduced assurance that workforce arrangements consistently promoted staff wellbeing and enabled staff to provide care in the most effective way. However, staff described a supportive culture, approachable leaders and strong teamwork. They told us they felt listened to, valued and respected, and had access to training, supervision and development opportunities. The provider invested in staff wellbeing through benefits, recognition schemes, pastoral support and opportunities for learning and innovation. A staff member said, “Eothen Whitley Bay is not only an excellent place to work but also an excellent place to live. From the laundry assistants, chefs, maintenance staff, and domestic team to the carers, and office staff, everyone takes the time—even on the busiest days—to stop, chat, and share a laugh with the residents. That sense of kindness, teamwork, and genuine care creates a warm and welcoming environment for everyone.”