Coastal Homecare (Hove) Limited

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. At our last assessment, we rated this key question good. At this assessment, the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People’s needs were robustly assessed before they began receiving a service. These needs and wishes were then used to formulate a person’s care plan. This was regularly reviewed and updated. People and their relatives told us they felt involved in this process and their voices were kept at the forefront of their care. When asked whether their care was reviewed, one person told us, “This happens on a continuous basis, and they make modifications. The agency adjusts due to needs.” This ensured care remained effective and responsive as people’s needs changed.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Care plans contained clear guidance for staff to best support their care needs. This included the use of tools to manage risks; for example, the Waterlow scoring system was used to monitor skin integrity. Staff followed advice from other professionals to effectively meet people’s needs. Where risks around nutrition or hydration had been noted, additional measures were put in place to minimise deterioration. Appropriate referrals had been made to external professionals when needed. People told us that staff supported them well with their nutrition and hydration. One person said, “They always make me a cup of tea.” This helped prevent deterioration and supported people to maintain their health and wellbeing.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Staff worked with a wide range of professionals, including GPs, district nurses, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. Referrals were made promptly, and professional advice was followed. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of what to look out for and when to report matters, for example, if someone started showing sore skin or signs of an infection. Most people told us that they could communicate with health professionals themselves, however, they also said that they would be sure that staff would offer support if this was needed.

Staff told us there was a good working relationship within the team, which supported good and consistent care delivery. One staff member said, “We have daily meetings in the office to discuss how people are and any changes. We can then pass it on to the team as soon as possible.”

The provider always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

We saw clear examples of how people were supported and encouraged to live healthier lives, helping to reduce their future need for care and support. The service developed initiatives, and staff worked collaboratively to deliver consistent, person-centred support. These proactive and preventative approaches enabled people to improve their health, maintain independence, and experience a better quality of life, while also helping to reduce avoidable harm.

Initiatives such as the nail cutting service, diabetes awareness activities, and World Hand Hygiene Day all had a significantly positive impact on people’s health and overall wellbeing.

The provider had worked proactively to identify that there was a high demand for foot care and significant risks to health without this being available. Therefore, they arranged to provide a nail cutting service, and specially trained staff to deliver this in people’s homes. The nail cutting service supported people who may otherwise struggle to maintain their foot and hand care, helping to prevent discomfort, infections, and mobility issues. This not only promoted physical health but also enhanced confidence and dignity.

Through diabetes awareness activities, the training manager provided education and practical guidance to staff to help people better understand their condition, manage their blood sugar levels, and make healthier lifestyle choices. This empowered people and their relatives to take a more active role in managing long-term health, reducing the risk of complications.

The service celebrated awareness raising days throughout the year. For example, World Hand Hygiene Day was used by the registered manager as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of good hand hygiene practices. Staff used their knowledge to engage people in learning about infection prevention, supporting safer environments and reducing the risk of illness.

Additional training in specialist areas had a significant impact on people. For example, one person had advanced dementia and was at serious risk from not accepting care and lashing out at staff. Staff received additional bespoke training in dementia care. One staff member told us, “Over time you get to know people and with the additional training I’ve had, I changed my approach. I wanted to support [person] to live the most comfortable life they could. Now this person will accept support from me, and we’ve really turned a corner.”

These approaches demonstrated a sustained commitment to preventative, person‑centred care that consistently exceeded expected standards.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

People’s care needs were reviewed regularly, and they told us they were involved in this. Staff knew people well, monitored the outcomes for each person, and reviewed the effectiveness of their support. The electronic system enabled office staff to make live changes as and when needed to ensure outcomes improved and were achievable. All staff worked towards improving people’s experience by providing dynamic, individualised care.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and how this applied to their day-to-day practices. They had received appropriate training to support this and through our conversations highlighted how they would uphold the principles, including presuming capacity and supporting people to make their own decisions, even if deemed unwise.

Staff routinely sought consent before providing care and people confirmed this. One staff member said, “It’s basic respect, I wouldn’t walk into someone’s home and start completing tasks without having a conversation with them first. People’s needs change all the time and they might want something doing differently that day.”

Where people were assessed as lacking capacity for specific decisions, records clearly detailed this. In these instances, people’s representatives were involved appropriately and any decisions made in the best interests of the person.