Sycamore Rise Residential Care Home

Updated 26 March 2025

Date of Assessment: 15 January, 28 January and 29 January 2025.

Sycamore Rise Residential Care Home is a service that can support up to 32 younger and older adults who may be living with mental health challenges and/or dementia. At the time of the assessment 27 people were living at the service.

The assessment was carried out as we had received information of concern. The information was reviewed, and the decision was made to carry out an assessment. We also used this assessment to check improvements had been made since our previous inspection.

The provider was previously in breach of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, fit and proper persons employed and good governance. Enough improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of these regulations.

At this assessment we found risks were not always identified and documented and people’s care records did not always contain detailed information to enable staff to respond to changing specific health needs. Safe recruitment practices were not in place and staff had not received training in specific health needs. The risk and spread of infection was not always well managed. Improvements were required to audit and quality systems and medicines were not always safely managed.

We identified three breaches of regulation relating to safe care and treatment, fit and proper persons employed and good governance.

Staffing was provided by a consistent team of staff. We received some negative feedback on the time people sometimes had to wait for support. The registered provider has commissioned a new call bell system so the times people have to wait can be clearly monitored.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to raise concerns with the safeguarding authorities if they felt people were at risk of harm or abuse. Information on safeguarding was available to people and those who were important to them, so they could raise concerns externally if they wished to do so.

The provider ensured people could access external health professionals if the need arose and information was appropriately provided to support continuity of care. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and monitored.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 26 March 2025

People we spoke to expressed they were generally happy with their care, however our assessment found elements of care did not meet the expected standards. Overall, people and relatives spoke positively about staff at the service and said they were kind and caring. People also shared they were happy with the standards of cleanliness at the home. However, we found improvements were required to minimise the risk and spread of infection. We also noted documentation did not always support staff to deliver care if people had specific health conditions. People were referred to health professionals promptly.

At the time of the assessment the person responsible for delivering entertainment eventswas not actively working at the home. Staff and the registered manager told us they were providing opportunities for people to take part in entertainment if they wish to do and people we spoke with confirmed this. People told us they liked the food and there was a choice of meals. People could choose where they ate their meals, and they were supported by staff if they needed help. To support engagement and feedback, regular meetings for people and relatives had just been introduced, a survey for people had also been introduced and was being analysed at the time of the assessment. This would allow people to further share their experience of living at the service.