The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has again rated Home Instead – Eastbourne and Hailsham as outstanding following an inspection that finished in October last year.
Home Instead – Eastbourne and Hailsham, run by Silverlight Care Limited, provides care to people in their own homes and specialises in care for people living with dementia. The service was supporting 24 adults at the time of this inspection, which was carried out as part of CQC’s routine monitoring of adult social care services.
CQC re-rated the service as outstanding for caring, responsive and well-led. Safe was upgraded from good to outstanding and effective was rated again as good.
Amy Jupp, CQC’s deputy director for the South East, said:
“When we inspected Home Instead, what stood out was the genuinely person-centred care people received. Leaders had fostered a culture that put people at the very heart of their care, supported by a consistent team of carefully recruited and well-trained staff.
“People consistently described staff as warm and patient, telling us they felt cared for as individuals rather than treated as tasks. Staff clearly understood what mattered most to people and often went above and beyond to enhance their lives.
“For example, one person loved playing chess but had no one to play with, so a staff member learned the game and they now enjoy regular matches together. Another person, who had served in the armed forces, felt disheartened at having nothing tangible to reflect their service. Staff contacted the relevant airbase on their behalf, resulting in medals being issued and a celebratory photograph featured in the Home Instead newsletter, which made the person feel immensely proud.
“This high standard of care was made possible by strong leadership, robust systems, and excellent staff support. People were thoughtfully matched with carers who shared similar interests and were supported by the same staff wherever possible, creating a culture of trust.
“Relatives told us this consistency significantly reduced anxiety and distress for their loved one living with dementia.
“Managers ensured care plans were detailed and up to date, and daily staff huddles were held to discuss changing needs or concerns. These systems meant staff always had the information they needed to provide safe, effective, and compassionate care.
“Everyone working at Home Instead should be proud of the exceptional care they are providing. Other services should look to this report as an example of outstanding practice.”
Inspectors found:
- Managers scheduled realistic call durations for people, which allowed staff to support people without rushing. They also monitored timekeeping and called relatives if there was going to be a delay.
- Leaders understood the link between staff wellbeing and quality of care, so they made sure staff felt valued and supported. This motivated staff to consistently deliver person-centred care to people.
- Staff encouraged people to remain as independent as possible and respected their right to make choices. One person said that staff always gave their relative time to do things for themself, even if it took longer, and this helped their confidence.
- Staff were very responsive to people’s changing needs and acted quickly to help them access support. In one example, someone said staff noticed their relative was more confused than usual, contacted the GP straight away and got them help within the hour.
- Leaders had created a positive learning environment and saw incidents as an opportunity to put things right and to improve. This meant staff were comfortable reporting concerns and learning could be shared across the team, so the service was continually improving.
- The service was open to feedback and people, and their relatives said they felt comfortable raising concerns and reassured they would be listened to.