We carried out a review of the data available to us about Ocean Swell on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Ocean Swell, you can give feedback on this service.
Ocean Swell is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 32 people. The service provides support to older people. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they were happy living at Ocean Swell, they told us they felt safe and staff were kind and caring. Their comments included “I would not want to be anywhere else” and “The staff are like friends. I can ask them anything”. People told us they were supported to remain independent.
Risks to people had been identified and action had been taken to keep them as safe as possible. Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed. Lessons had been learnt when things went wrong and action had been taken to reduce the risk of them from happening again. Staff knew how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns. Staff had been recruited safely. The service was clean, and staff followed safe infection control processes.
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.
People, their relatives, staff and professionals were asked for their views of the service and the provider acted on feedback received. Checks were completed to identify and address any shortfalls. The provider had a continuous improvement plan in operation and areas of the service had been developed since our last inspection. Staff felt supported by the provider and registered manager.
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 9 May 2018).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to records and working with professionals. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. 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 has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ocean Swell 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.
We found the following examples of good practice.
Staff are following the latest visiting guidance and people are able to receive visitors without restrictions. People are being supported to safely go out and about with their family, friends and staff.
Checks are completed on all visitors to the service to ensure they had a negative Covid-19 test result and where required have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
People and staff are following the current Covid-19 testing programme to quickly identify any infections.
The provider had invested in additional equipment to reduce the risk of the spread of infections, such as ozone machines to pureify the air.
When people wanted to, they were supported to clean their bedroom. One person told us they really enjoyed doing this and it gave them a sense of purpose each day.
Rating at last inspection
At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
Rating at this inspection
At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
Why the service is rated Good
At the last inspection in December 2015 we recommended the provider seek advice and guidance from a reputable source, about writing care plans in relation to peoples’ specific needs. At this inspection we found that the provider had acted on our recommendation and people’s care plans contained detailed guidance to staff about their needs and wishes.
The management team had oversight of the service. They checked all areas of the service regular to make sure it met the standards they required. The provider worked to continually improve the care people received and had supported staff to continually develop their skills to meet people’s needs.
Staff felt supported by the management team, they were motivated and enthusiastic about their roles. A member of the management team was always available to provide the support and guidance staff needed. Staff worked together to support people to be as independent as they wanted to be. All the staff we spoke with told us they would be happy for their relatives to live at Ocean Swell. Records in respect of each person were accurate, complete and kept secure.
Staff were kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect. They had taken time to get to know each person well and provide the care they wanted in the way they preferred. People received the care and support they wanted at the end of their life.
Assessments of people’s needs and any risks had been completed and care had been planned with them and their relatives, to meet their needs and preferences and keep them safe. Staff knew the signs of abuse and were confident to raise any concerns they had with the management team. People were not discriminated against and received care tailored to them. Complaints were investigated and responded to. People had enough to do during the day, including regular trips out.
Changes in people’s health were identified quickly and staff contacted their health care professionals for support. People’s medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines in the ways their healthcare professional had prescribed. People were offered a balanced diet of food they liked and that met their cultural needs and preferences.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. The registered manager knew when assessments of people’s capacity to make decisions were needed. Information was available to people in a way their understood to help them make decisions and choices. Staff treated people with dignity and gave them privacy.
There were enough staff to provide the care and support people needed when they wanted it. Staff were recruited safely and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks had been completed. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and worked as a team to meet people’s needs.
The service and equipment were clean and well maintained. The building had been adapted to meet people’s needs and make them feel comfortable. People were able to use all areas of the building and grounds and were encouraged to make their bedroom feel homely.
The registered manager had informed CQC of significant events at that had happened at the service, so we could check that appropriate action had been taken.
Services are required to prominently display their CQC performance rating. The provider had displayed the rating in the entrance hall.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
Ocean Swell provides accommodation for up to 32 older people or people with physical disabilities, who need support with their personal care. The service is a converted hotel. Accommodation is arranged over three floors. A lift is available to assist people to get to the upper floors. The service has 18 single bedrooms and 7 double bedrooms, which people can choose to share. Seven of the bedrooms have ensuite toilets or bathrooms. There were 30 people living at the service at the time of our inspection.
A registered manager was leading the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the care and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were treated with dignity and respect at all times. For example, staff explained the care and support people would receive before they received it and asked them what they would like staff to do and when.
The manager provided strong leadership to the staff and had oversight of all areas of the service. Staff were motivated and felt supported by the manager and other senior staff. The staff team had a clear vision of the aims of the service. Staff told us the manager was approachable and they were confident to raise any concerns they had with them.
There were enough staff, who knew people well, to meet their needs at all times. The needs of the people had been considered when deciding how many staff were required on each shift. Staff had the time and skills to provide the care and support people needed. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and worked as a team to meet people’s needs.
Staff recruitment systems were in place and information about staff had been obtained to make sure staff did not pose a risk to people. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks had been completed. The DBS helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and helps prevent unsuitable people from working with people who use care and support services.
Staff were supported to provide good quality care and support. The manager had a plan in place to keep staff skills up to date. Most staff held recognised qualifications in care. Staff met regularly with the manager to discuss their role and practice and any concerns they had.
Staff knew the signs of possible abuse and were confident to raise concerns they had with the manager, senior staff or the local authority safeguarding team. Plans were in place to keep people safe in an emergency. Equipment was in place to evacuate people safely and staff had the skills to use it confidently.
People’s needs had been assessed to identify the care they required. Care and support was planned with people and reviewed to keep people safe and support them to be as independent as possible. Detailed guidance had not been provided to staff about how to provide all areas of the care and support people needed, however people received consistent care as staff knew them well. We have made a recommendation about care plan records.
People were given the medicines they needed to keep them safe and well. Some people managed their own medicines. Action was taken to identify changes in people’s health, including regular health checks. People were supported by staff to receive the care they needed to keep them as safe and well as possible.
The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Arrangements were in place to check if people at risk of being deprived of their liberty and applications had been made to the supervisory body when they were necessary.
Consent to care had been obtained from people. People who had capacity were supported to make decisions and choices. Processes were in operation to assess if people were able to make decisions and to act in their best interests if they were not. The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) had been met.
People were supported to participate in a wide variety of activities that they enjoyed. Possible risks to them had been identified and were managed to keep people as safe as possible, without restricting them.
People told us they liked the food at Ocean Swell. They were offered a balanced diet that met their individual needs, including low sugar diets for people who wanted them. A wide range of foods were on offer to people each day and they were provided with frequent drinks to make sure they were hydrated.
People and their representatives were confident to raise concerns and complaints they had about the service with the manager and senior staff and had received a satisfactory response.
The deputy manager worked with people and staff and checked that the quality of the service was to the standard the manager required. Any shortfalls found were addressed quickly to prevent them from happening again. People and their representatives were asked about their experiences of the care and these were used to improve the service.
The environment was safe, clean and homely. Maintenance and refurbishment plans were in place and the dining room had recently been redecorated. Appropriate equipment was provided to support the people to remain independent and keep them safe. Safety checks were completed regularly.
Accurate records were kept about the care and support people received and about the day to day running of the service. These provided staff with the information they needed to provide safe and consistent care to people.
People said that they were happy with the care and support they received and that their needs were being met in all areas. They said that the staff treated them with respect, listened to them and supported them to raise any concerns they had about their care. People told us that the service responded to their health needs quickly and that the manager talked to them regularly about their plan of care and any changes that may be needed.
We reviewed the arrangements with regard to the storage and administration of medication and no concerns were found. Infection control and cleanliness of the service was also reviewed and the service was found to be meeting with the regulations. Systems were also in place to monitor the service.
Many comments received were complimentary of the service. One lady said 'It's lovely here' another said 'We go out for day trips in the minibus. I love it here'. Other people were complimentary of the food and had no concerns re the quality of care. A relative said 'This is one of the better homes in Thanet. I am very happy my Mum is here'.
People said that they were happy with the care and support they received and that their needs were being met in all areas. They said that the staff treated them with respect, listened to them and supported them to raise any concerns they had about their care. People told us that the service responded to their health needs quickly and that the manager talked to them regularly about their plan of care and any changes that may be needed.
Many comments received were complimentary of the service. One gentleman said 'It's lovely here' another said 'We go out for day drips in the minibus. I love it here'. Other people were complimentary of the food and had no concerns with regard to the quality of care.