Archived: L'Arche London The Sycamore

At the last inspection on 29 September 2013 we found that the service had met all standards inspected. This inspection took place on 28 April 2016 and was unannounced.

At the time of inspection a registered manager was in post. The service also had a service co-ordinator and a deputy co-ordinator who managed the day-to-day running of the home. 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.

We found that the staff team had knowledge and skills to support people from harm. Appropriate systems were in place to monitor incidents and accidents, which meant that immediate support was provided for people when needed. The service ensure that a protection plan was in place for people who were at risk to abuse. Staff carried out people’s individual risk assessments to assist them to stay safe from potential harm and injury. There were sufficient number of staff to support people with their care needs. Staff supported people to manage their medicines safely.

Staff were provided with support to identify their professional goals and developmental needs. They received regular supervision to discuss their performance and training needs. However, some staff had not had regular appraisal meetings because the provider had made a decision to undertake everyone’s appraisal in the same month.

Staff attended relevant to their role training courses to ensure that the support provided for people was in line with good practice. The service worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), which ensured that people received assistance to make decisions. Staff supported people to make choices about what they wanted to eat and drink. People were up-to-date with their routine health appointments and had access to health professionals for support where necessary.

We observed that people had good relationships with staff. Staff were kind to people and respected their privacy. People had support to follow their religious believes and maintain relationships in the community. Staff knew people’s preferences and encouraged them to attend activities of their choice. People’s friends and relatives were able to visit when it suited them best.

Staff supported people to plan their care. The service held regular review meetings to discuss people’s goals and achievements. This meant that people were consulted about what was important for them. People’s families were involved in supporting people to make complex decisions. People and their relatives had regularly provided feedback about the service and felt that the concerns raised were adhered to as appropriate.

Staff told us they were supported by the management team and asked them for advice when needed. Regular staff meetings were carried out, which enabled staff to question practice and make suggestions to improve where required. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided for people. The management team and staff had carried out regular audits to identify and make changes were appropriate.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People's care was personalised to include their needs and preferences. People had been supported to maintain their physical health.

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration, and had a choice of meals and an opportunity to take part in shopping and meal preparation.

People who use the service, staff and visitors were protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises and The Sycamores was well maintained and homely.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs and we saw kind and respectful interaction with staff and people who were using services.

There was an effective complaints system available and this was adapted to the needs of people with a learning disability so it was easier for them to understand and use. We found that people had been given opportunities to raise any concerns they had.

We found that the people who were using the service were being given good support by staff to understand their care options and to communicate the choices they had made. The people who were using the service were respected and were being supported to pursue lifestyles of their choosing, with opportunities to develop their independence and be part of the local community.

There were appropriate arrangements in place to ensure the care and welfare of each person using the service. Each person had a set of individual plans and records detailing their care, support and healthcare needs and any risks that staff needed to be aware of.

Staff understood how to protect people from abuse and what action they should take if they suspected any form of abuse was happening. They had been trained to meet the specific needs of the people using the service.

The provider had a good quality assurance system in place. There were many opportunities for people who use the service to contribute their views and ideas to the running of the L'Arche Lambeth community of homes.