Sea Breeze

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 provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at ensuring people were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity, and at creating a warm, respectful culture where people felt valued and understood. Staff consistently showed warmth and respect in every interaction, ensuring people felt valued and listened to. Observations showed staff consistently interacting in a friendly, calm and joyful way, using humour, warmth and reassurance to build trusting relationships. This exceptional level of kindness had a tangible and powerful impact on people’s quality of life. We saw people were emotionally secure, relaxed, and genuinely at home, which enabled them to build trusting relationships, express their preferences confidently, and engage more fully in daily life. Relatives told us this compassionate culture reassured them that their loved ones were not only well cared for but genuinely cherished. One relative told us, “Staff were very kind and caring, lovely all of them, totally dedicated, amazing.” Such emotionally supportive care contributed to people experiencing increased wellbeing, reduced anxiety, and a strong sense of belonging within the home. We observed staff singing, dancing and engaging playfully with people. Staff and people formed professional, yet close relationships.

Staff were highly attuned to the nuanced ways people communicated and experienced their environment. For example, they identified that one person used sensory cues to recognise and become familiar with those supporting them. Staff responded in a consistent and thoughtful way, including maintaining consistency in their presentation and exploring additional sensory approaches to further support the person’s recognition of those providing support. This enabled the person to confidently identify individual staff members and strengthened their sense of familiarity. As a result, the person experienced increased reassurance, trust, and emotional security.

Privacy and dignity were actively upheld, including during medicines administration, where staff supported people in private areas and communicated gently throughout. Professional feedback consistently described the service as welcoming, compassionate and person centred, with people appearing comfortable, relaxed and well supported.

The provider was exceptional at treating people as individuals and ensuring care reflected people’s unique needs, preferences and communication styles. Care and support was clearly tailored, with staff demonstrating strong knowledge of people’s histories, health needs and personal interests. Observations showed staff adapting their approach for each person, including using objects of reference, personalised routines and flexible responses to changing needs. Staff knew people exceptionally well and consistently went above and beyond to understand and respond to their individual needs. This meant they were able to anticipate what would help someone feel settled, whether that was supporting them to pursue their preferred activity or other personal interests.

For example, staff demonstrated a high level of awareness by identifying subtle and periodic changes in a person’s mood through careful observation. They recognised that these changes may be linked to natural cycles affecting emotional wellbeing and responded proactively. This led to collaborative work with relatives and health professionals to better understand potential underlying causes. As a result, changes were made to the person’s medicines, which had been effective in supporting improved mood and overall wellbeing.

Staff consistently spoke about the unique skills and strategies they used when supporting people, for example one staff member told us, “At night sometimes [a person] doesn’t want to have their drink but if you stand on a chair and dance, they will take the drink.” As a result of this highly personalised support, understanding about people’s communication needs had noticeably increased, as staff tailored their approach to provide reassurance, choice and fun at exactly the right moments. Observations confirmed that staff respected people’s choices and routines and adapted support to avoid overwhelming individuals.

People with complex communication needs were supported effectively ensuring decisions were led by the person wherever possible. We observed staff repeatedly checking understanding and respecting decisions, including when people chose not to take part in activities. This approach ensured people were confident their individuality was respected and encouraged by staff who knew them extremely well in an environment which celebrated their strengths and achievements. The environment and activities were adapted to support individuality, including personalised bedrooms, meaningful activities and culturally relevant celebrations. Professional partners consistently reported that staff knew people well and provided highly personalised support that promoted dignity and wellbeing.

The provider always supported people to have choice and control over their care and daily lives, although there were some limitations linked to people’s complex needs. Care plans included goals such as maintaining independence, going on holiday and regular outings, and staff worked collaboratively to help people achieve these aspirations. Throughout our inspection visits we saw staff included people in tasks around the home to make sure they were fully involved in everything which was going on.

People were able to spend time with others that were important to them and were supported to maintain relationships and access meaningful activities in the community. This included holidays, sports events and local outings, which promoted independence and quality of life. Staff encouraged participation and adapted activities to meet individual abilities and interests. While independence was promoted wherever possible, some people required high levels of support, which naturally limited autonomy in certain areas. People’s choices were central to care delivery and were respected consistently.

The provider was exceptional at responding to people’s immediate needs and anticipating distress or discomfort. Staff were highly attentive and responsive, quickly recognising changes in people’s mood, health or communication. Staff demonstrated deep knowledge of individuals’ preferences routines and triggers, which meant they could step in early to prevent distress and promote comfort. We observed staff supporting a person in an exceptionally skilled and person-centred manner, responding to their immediate needs. Staff maintained a discreet yet assured presence, carefully observing from a distance to anticipate and respond to their needs without causing unnecessary interruption. This enabled the person to independently explore and orientate themselves within their environment, building reassurance and confidence at their own pace. Staff were highly attuned to the person’s needs, sensitively interpreting subtle changes in body language to recognise that they were content and not distressed. Their approach reflected a proactive understanding of how to respond in the moment, balancing independence and safety seamlessly. Staff remained alert and ready to intervene promptly if required, ensuring any potential discomfort or distress could be minimised. They also used objects of reference effectively to support communication and understanding, enabling meaningful engagement and ensuring the person’s preferences and needs were consistently recognised and responded to.

During our inspection visits we saw staff were exceptionally attentive and met peoples’ needs promptly and intuitively. This resulted in a calm, happy and relaxed atmosphere throughout the home, where people felt secure, listened to and genuinely valued.

The provider always recognised the importance of staff wellbeing and took steps to support and enable the workforce to deliver person-centred care. Staff were observed to be engaged, motivated and positive, even during busy periods or staffing pressures. Inspectors noted a relaxed and supportive atmosphere, with staff speaking openly about their work and demonstrating strong commitment to people they supported.

Leaders supported staff through supervision, training and flexible working arrangements where needed, which helped staff to feel valued and able to raise concerns. Examples included adjustments to working patterns to support staff wellbeing and health needs. Systems to promote wellbeing were in place and effective. Staff told us they felt supported and enabled, which had a positive impact on people’s experiences of care.