This inspection took place on the 8 March 2017 and was unannounced. Seaview provides accommodation and support for up to seven people who may have a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. There is a driveway and some on street parking, a bus stop and the beach are within walking distance. At the time of the inspection four people were living at the service. All people had access to communal lounges/dining area, activities room (referred to as the ‘Happy room’), kitchen, shared bathrooms, and laundry room. There was a garden which people could access when they wished.

The previous inspection on the 9 July 2014 found no areas of concern and an overall rating of ‘Good’ was given at that inspection. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The registered manager had left the service in January 2017 and deregistered with the Commission in March 2017. The deputy manager had been promoted and had been managing the service with the support of the operations manager; they were in the process of applying for registration with the Commission. 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.

There were enough staff with the right skills and knowledge to support people. Staff had good support and supervision to fulfil their roles effectively and felt well supported by the manager. People were protected by the service using safe and robust recruitment processes, staff understood how to recognise and raise concerns about people’s safety.

There were safe processes for storing and administering medicines. Medicines were administered by trained staff and were regularly audited to ensure errors were identified quickly.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and audited to identify patterns. The manager was supported by the provider’s quality assurance team to minimise the risk of repeating incidents. The risk of harm to people was reduced as risk assessments had been implemented. Staff understood that although they had a duty of care to help keep people safe, people were also free to make their own choices even if this could increase the level of risk to that person.

Appropriate checks were made to keep people safe. Safety checks had been made regularly on equipment and the environment.

The manager demonstrated a clear understanding of the process that must be followed if people were deemed to lack capacity to make their own decisions and the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. They ensured people’s rights were protected by meeting the requirements of the Act.

People’s health needs were responded to promptly and healthcare professionals said they felt well informed about people’s needs when they changed. People had choice around their food and drinks and staff encouraged them to make their own decisions and choices. Individual support was given to people with specialised requirements around their food and professional healthcare advice was listened to.

People were supported to take part in activities, which were suitable for their individual needs and had the opportunity to discuss activities they wished to undertake in the future. People discussed their aspirations with their key workers and action was taken to achieve them.

Staff demonstrated caring attitudes and communicated with people in a respectful and dignified way. People felt confident and comfortable in their home and staff were easily approachable. Interactions between people and staff were positive and encouraged engagement.

Complaints were listened and responded to appropriately. People could access an easy read version of the complaints procedure if they had any concerns about the care and treatment they received.

The provider strived to continually improve the

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

A registered manager was in post, however they were on annual leave at the time of the inspection. The operations manager and senior staff assisted with the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

Seaview is a care home registered to provide care and support for up to eight people with a learning disability, specialising in caring for people with Autism and Prader-Willi Syndrome.  

 This was an unannounced inspection. At the time of the inspection there were five people using the service. 

They said, staff were kind and caring and respected their rights and dignity. People said they did not have any complaints but would speak with staff or their family if they were unhappy.  

The service had systems in place to keep people safe. Risks associated with people’s care and support had been identified and guidance or good practice was in place to reduce these risks and keep people safe. Staff understood the importance of supporting people to make their own decisions where possible. People received their medicines when they should and safely. 

People had been involved in developing their care plan and care plans showed detailed guidance for staff, to ensure people received a consistent approach to their care and support.  When we asked staff about people’s needs, they were able to provide up to date information about all aspects of people’s care and support. Staff received appropriate training and had the skills necessary to carry out their roles. 

The service was well managed and there were systems in place to monitor the standards of care and support that people received. A pictorial complaints policy was in place so that people were supported to understand how to make a complaint or raise concerns.  

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes.  Whilst no-one living at the service was currently subject to a DoLS,

we found that the manager understood when an application should be made and how to submit one and was aware of a recent Supreme Court Judgement which widened and clarified the definition of a deprivation of liberty.