Archived: St Helena Hospice, Tendring Centre

Updated 30 January 2015

We carried out a visit to the service on 15 August 2014. The inspection team consisted of an inspector, an Expert by Experience and a specialist advisor. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at all the information we had available about the service. This included the findings from our last inspection. We used this information to plan what areas we were going to focus on during our inspection.

At our last inspection of the service on 18 November 2013 we looked at a range of standards which included care and welfare of people, safety and suitability of the premises, how staff were supported and how the provider monitored the quality of the service. There was one minor area of concern raised at that inspection that related to improving access in one area and the provider rectified the issue.

During our inspection we carried out observations of how people who used the service on that day received care and support. We spoke with eight people who used the service on the day of our inspection as well as three members of nursing and ancillary staff and three volunteers.

We examined records which included four people’s care plans and risk assessments as well as records that related to the management of the service such as policies, procedures and records of medication processes.

Updated 30 January 2015

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 is 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.

This report was written during the testing phase of our new approach to regulating adult social care services. After this testing phase, inspection of consent to care and treatment, restraint, and practice under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was moved from the key question ‘Is the service safe?’ to ‘Is the service effective?’

The ratings for this location were awarded in October 2014. They can be directly compared with any other service we have rated since then, including in relation to consent, restraint, and the MCA under the ‘Effective’ section. Our written findings in relation to these topics, however, can be read in the ‘Is the service safe’ sections of this report.

The inspection was unannounced, which meant the provider did not know that we were coming.

At the last inspection of the service there was a breach of Regulation 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2005 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. This was judged to have a minor impact on people and the provider took measures to put the issue right.

St Helena Hospice Limited provides a range of palliative care services to patients at home, through two day centres and an inpatient unit. The service is available to anyone over the age of 16. A pre- and post-bereavement support service is also provided to family members. St Helena Hospice Limited covers North East Essex and the Colne Valley area of Mid Essex. St Helena Hospice, Tendring Centre is one of the day centres and operates five days a week.

There is a registered manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

People told us they felt safe when they used the service. One person said, “You get a lovely service and there are so many carers and volunteers you could not be safer.” There were sufficient members of staff and volunteers with the skills and understanding to provide people with the care and support they needed.

Staff were supported to develop their skills so that they could provide people who used the service with the care and support they needed. Staff said they felt well supported by colleagues and manager. People were complimentary about the way staff cared for them. One person said, “If I have any problems they want to know and do everything in their power to make it better and if they cannot, then they call the doctor.”

When they came to the hospice people received care and support that met their individual health, emotional and social needs. They said that staff did, “everything in their power” to support them or to get them specialist help.

People were treated with dignity and respect by staff and volunteers who were caring and compassionate.

Staff responded to people’s changing needs; they involved people in assessing their needs and took their views into account. Care and support was tailored to the individual’s needs at any particular time. People were supported to take part in therapies and treatments to help with their physical and emotional well-being.

There was an open culture and people were kept informed of changes that would affect the service. Staff and managers gave people opportunities to express their views and concerns and did what they were able to reduce people’s anxiety.