This inspection took place on 28 and 30 June 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service which was registered with the Care Quality Commission in May 2016. Eothen Residential Homes - Wallsend is a care home for people who are living with dementia. It is registered to provide accommodation for up to 52 people. At the time of the inspection there were 42 people using the service.

The home had a registered manager who had been registered since May 2016. 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 provider displayed a clear commitment to providing innovative dementia care through research, design, training and support. Working together with a dementia care organisation, the provider designed the environment to maximise people’s independence and wellbeing. People had constant access to safe, enclosed landscaped gardens. People lived in 'households' of up to thirteen people, each with their own kitchen area. This inclusive design meant people could maintain and improve upon their independent skills.

People who used the service and staff dined together to promote the culture of a family home. Staff prepared breakfasts in the household kitchens which enabled people to see and smell their meal being made. People told us the food available in the home was varied and of a good quality. The chef was aware of people's needs. People were able to assist staff with household tasks such as washing or drying up if they wanted to. We saw a number of examples of the provider’s strong emphasis on delivering a home from home experience.

The provider had designed a creative and thorough training program to ensure staff had the skills and knowledge to deliver their model of care. Training focussed on feelings and connecting emotionally with people living with dementia. Staff were animated and passionate when describing the care provided in the home. They told us about dementia experiential training they had attended which included distorting people’s vision and dexterity to help staff to understand how people with dementia may feel.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Applications had been made for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), where it was considered that people would be unable to keep themselves safe if they were to leave the home unaccompanied.

People had access to a range of healthcare professionals to maintain their health and wellbeing. Staff accompanied people to appointments at the hospital, or at their GPs or dentist. Healthcare professionals we spoke with, who visited the home regularly, were very positive about the care provided at the home.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to protect people using the service from abuse or any concerns in relation to their safety. Staff we spoke with were clear on their responsibilities in identifying and identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns. All staff we spoke with told us they felt any concerns would be properly dealt with by the registered manager.

Risks were well managed. Risk assessments showed a positive response to risk taking where it enriched people's lives. People were supported to be independent and any risks were assessed with mitigating actions identified to ensure people's care was delivered as safely as possible.

There were enough staff to meet people's needs. During our inspection we saw the atmosphere in the home was calm and relaxed and this was confirmed by people and relatives’ feedback. Comments received throughout the inspection were that there were enough st