# Home Instead – Eastbourne and Hailsham

*Operated by Silverlight Care Limited.*

Home Instead – Eastbourne and Hailsham is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Polegate.

## CQC Ratings

| Key question | Rating |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | Outstanding |
| Safe | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Well-led | Outstanding |

Rating published: 13/02/2026

## Practical info

- Postcode: BN26 6HY
- Registered manager: Cottrell, Bibi
- Local authority: East Sussex
- Region: South East
- City: Polegate
- Last CQC check: 13/Feb/2026 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### caring

- Finding
  - Involving and listening to people who use the service
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Promoting independence and supporting people's choices
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Kindness, dignity and respect in care delivery
  - Published: 2021-10-30

### effective

- Finding
  - Staff supervision and appraisal
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Nutrition, hydration and health needs support
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Mental Capacity Act compliance and best interests decision-making
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Staff induction, training and development
  - Published: 2021-10-30

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: Life journals co-created with people to capture values, history and preferences, supporting continuity of person-centred care as needs changed.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Proactive medicines management with thorough staff training, daily stock checks, body maps for patches, and a new real-time medication system being trialled.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff felt highly valued with 97% proud to work for the company and 100% saying the service was well run, supported by regular supervisions and annual appraisals.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Reliable, punctual service with IQ timecard system triggering office checks if staff are more than 15 minutes late, with no missed visits reported.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Strong community engagement including chairing the Wealdon Dementia Action Alliance, nearly 300 Dementia Friends, and liaising with police, fire service and social workers.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Exceptional leadership with clear accountability, monthly scorecards, audits, spot checks, and an online task management system ensuring continuous improvement.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Highly responsive service with flexible care packages adapted immediately to changing needs, including same-day increases following hospital admissions.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Robust, values-based recruitment with four references checked, DBS checks, and thorough induction including the Care Certificate and 'Safe Caregiver' programme.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Outstanding dementia care including City & Guilds accredited training, dementia bus experience, and community dementia café reducing social isolation.
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Evidence: Exceptional person-centred care with staff matched to people's personalities, interests and needs, resulting in 100% satisfaction with staff matching in feedback surveys.
  - Published: 2021-10-30

### responsive

- Finding
  - Complaints handling
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Reducing social isolation through activities and community links
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Flexible response to changing needs
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Person-centred care planning tailored to individual needs
  - Published: 2021-10-30

### safe

- Finding
  - Medicines management and administration
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Staffing levels and safe recruitment
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Risk management enabling choice and independence
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Safeguarding people from abuse and avoidable harm
  - Published: 2021-10-30

### well_led

- Finding
  - Community engagement and innovation in dementia care
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Staff engagement and accountability
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Quality assurance and continuous improvement
  - Published: 2021-10-30
- Finding
  - Leadership culture, values and governance
  - Published: 2021-10-30

## Source

Data published by the [Care Quality Commission](https://www.cqc.org.uk/) under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canonical page: https://homecarecompass.co.uk/agency/1-2547646255

HomeCare Compass is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the CQC.