Archived: Sunrise of Westbourne

Sunrise of Westbourne can accommodate up to 114 older people in purpose-built premises. Nursing care is provided. The home is separated into two communities known as the "Assisted Living Community" and the "Reminiscence Community". The latter provides specialist care for people who live with dementia. There were 98 people living there when we inspected.

We found the following examples of good practice:

Staff had spent time supporting relatives and friends to download Apps such as Zoom and WhatsApp and then explained how to use these to enable calls to take place with people living at Sunrise of Westbourne.

The manager had provided all staff with face masks to wear and hand gels to use on public transport or when out in community settings to help reduce the possibility of staff bringing the virus into the home.

Staff uniforms were laundered in the home to ensure they were washed at the correct temperature.

The manager had required all staff to purchase suitable, easily cleanable footwear which was kept in the home and staff were reimbursed for this.

Sunrise of Westbourne is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Sunrise of Westbourne can accommodate up to 114 older people in purpose-built premises. Nursing care is provided. The home is separated into two communities known as the “Assisted Living Community” and the “Reminiscence Community”. The latter provides specialist care for people who live with dementia. There were 90 people living or staying there when we inspected.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.’

People and their visitors were exceptionally positive about the care provided at Sunrise of Westbourne. They were also full of praise for the staff. Many people gave us instances of exceptional care they had received or told us about occasions where staff had gone the extra mile to ensure people continued to live fulfilling, happy lives. Visitors valued the relationships they and their loved ones had with the staff team and told us they always felt welcome. People’s independence was promoted as far as possible and their choices were respected.

Staff at Sunrise of Westbourne were a highly motivated team who demonstrated their commitment to providing high quality, individualised care to meet people’s preferences and needs. There was a very strong emphasis on the provision of activities that were meaningful to the people living in the home. This meant that people were supported to pursue interests and hobbies that were important to them. Activities were continually evaluated to ensure that they remained appropriate to people’s needs and individual preferences. People were able to access the local community either independently or with support. The registered provider encouraged community involvement and invited various local groups into the home on a regular basis.

Staff spoke positively, passionately and with compassion about working at Sunrise of Westbourne. They told us the common aim for everyone was to provide a high-quality service to people in whatever role they undertook. They told us they felt very well supported by the registered manager and the management team and said that they who were always available and willing to lend a hand and work as part of the team.

Staff were well trained and had the skills to meet people’s needs. Regular training and supervision was available for all staff. There were sufficient staff on duty with the right skills and knowledge to provide the care and support people needed. The registered manager explained that staffing levels were based on people’s needs which were kept under constant review and that the number of staff on duty could easily be adjusted for either temporary or permanent reasons. Staff were recruited safely; checks were undertaken before they started work to ensure they were suitable to work in a care setting.

People’s care and support needs were assessed and planned for in detail prior to moving to Sunrise of Westbourne and through an ongoing review process. People and, where appropriate, their relatives, were encouraged to be involved in these processes. Staff knew people very well and understood their care needs and preferences. They spent time with people, both during care tasks and at other times. Care and support was not rushed and we observed staff working at the person’s pace.

Risks were assessed and managed pro-actively. People were supported to take risks to maintain their independence as far as possible, for example, if they could walk they were encouraged to do so.

The home had been purpose built and included special features such as extra wide corridors and door ways. At the time of the inspection, parts of the building were being refurbished. The registered manager had taken this opportunity to change how some areas of the home were used, improve facilities such as the hairdressing salon and staff room and ensure that new understanding about the best environments to support people living with dementia, based on research evidence, had been included.

Staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults, including recognising signs of abuse and how to report any concerns and to whistle blow. Medicines were stored and managed safely, and were administered as prescribed. The premises were well maintained, with regular health and safety checks and up-to-date servicing. People were protected from the risk of infections by staff who ensured that the environment was kept clean and infection control procedures were followed.

People’s rights were protected because the staff acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, including the deprivation of liberty safeguards. Where people could give consent to aspects of their care, staff sought this before providing assistance. If there were concerns that people would not be able to consent to their care, staff assessed their mental capacity. Where they were found to lack mental capacity, a decision was made and recorded regarding the care to be provided in the person’s best interests.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and to have plenty to eat and drink. People’s weights were monitored and appropriate action taken if people were identified as being at risk of malnutrition or dehydration. People had access to healthcare services and were supported to manage their health.

Lessons were learned and improvements made when things went wrong. Concerns and complaints were seen as an opportunity to bring about improvement. The registered manager and their team exercised their duty of candour, keeping people and where appropriate their relatives informed about what had happened as the result of an accident or incident.

The service operated openly and transparently, working cooperatively with other organisations to ensure people were safe and received the care and support they needed. The service had a clear management structure, with an established registered manager. They and other members of the management team worked closely with staff, frequently observing and providing care. People, visitors and staff were confident in the leadership of the service.

People and visitors were asked for their feedback about the service they received through regular surveys, meetings in the home and a suggestions box. People told us they felt listened to and that their views did influence how things happened.

There were systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service. This included the use of audits and surveying the people who used the service and their representatives.

Further information is in the detailed findings below:

Sunrise Operations of Westbourne is a purpose built care home comprising of four floors providing accommodation, care and support for up to 114 older people, some of whom live independently and require little or no personal care. The service also provides a specialist service on part of the second and all of the third floor, the reminiscence neighbourhood. The reminiscence neighbourhood is for older people living with dementia or enduring mental health conditions. At the time of the inspection there were 106 people living at the home. There was an acting registered manager employed at the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The acting registered manager had commenced the process of becoming a registered manager with the Care Quality Commission.

During our inspection visit the home had a welcoming, friendly atmosphere with interesting, fun activities being available for people to join in with if they wished. There were also quieter areas for people to sit in which meant people had the opportunity to relax in a calm and homely area.

The premises were well maintained and sympathetically furnished to ensure people were able to sit down and rest throughout the home. The reminiscence neighbourhood was furnished and decorated to accommodate people living with dementia, with clear signage, toilet doors painted in contrasting colours to enable people with dementia to distinguish toilet doors from bedroom doors, and themed lifestyle stations for people to engage with.

People and their relatives gave positive views about the care and support they were given at the home and everyone we spoke with told us they enjoyed living there. People told us they felt safe at the home.

Staff spoke knowledgeably about the systems that were employed to keep people safe and free from harm. They knew how to prevent, identify and report abuse and the provider had systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed.

People’s needs were assessed including areas of risk, and reviewed regularly to ensure people were kept safe. People were cared for with respect and dignity and their privacy was protected.

People received their prescribed medicine when they needed it and appropriate arrangements were in place for the administration, storage and disposal of medicines

People told us there were always staff available to help them when they needed support and they were supported promptly by staff who were friendly and caring. Relatives told us they were made to feel very welcome when visiting the home and felt the staff involved and included them where appropriate in the care of their relative.

There was a robust recruitment and selection procedure in place to ensure people were cared for, or supported by, sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced staff. Staff spoke positively regarding the induction and training they received and commented they had felt well supported throughout their induction period.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how people liked to have their care needs met. They delivered safe, effective, person centred care to people in a friendly, professional and kind way.

Supervisions and appraisals were regularly completed with staff, were detailed, clearly written and gave staff the opportunity to comment on their performance and request further training and development opportunities if they wished. The provider had a range of staff incentive schemes to reward and encourage staff to attain their full potential.

The provider had achieved ‘Beacon’ status in the Gold Standards Framework Accreditation. The National Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a national training scheme which provides training for staff to enable them to provide a gold standard of care for people nearing the end of their life. Beacon status is the highest grade that can be obtained.

Equipment such as hoists and pressure relieving mattresses and cushions were readily available, clean and well maintained.

The manager was aware of their responsibilities in regard to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These safeguards aim to protect people living in care homes and hospitals from being inappropriately deprived of their liberty. These safeguards can only be used when there is no other way of supporting a person safely.

People were supported and provided with an extensive choice of healthy food and drink ensuring their nutritional needs were met. Menus took into account people’s dietary needs and people told us they enjoyed the food and could ask for different choices if they did not like what was on the menu. The provider ensured meal times were a pleasant and social experience for people and the dining areas were attractively laid out with table cloths, table decorations and staff available to ensure people received the assistance they needed.

People knew how to make a complaint if they needed to raise concerns or queries. There was a clear system in place for people to raise concerns and complaints.

There was an extensive schedule of daily activities for people to participate in if they wished. Activities were very well publicised throughout the service with an hourly schedule of activities taking place around the home. People who required assistance were supported to take trips to places of interest. The provider ran a weekly mini bus service to places of interest that people had asked to visit, such as The New Forest, Poole Quay, garden centres and local parks.

There had recently been a change of registered manager and people told us this had led to improvements in the running of the service. One person told us,“It’s improved now, I feel listened to now”. People felt there was a clear management structure in place with a visible, approachable management team that listened to them and the staff.

There were systems in place to monitor and drive continuous improvement in the quality of the service provided.