We carried out a review of the data available to us about Sheridan House on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Sheridan House, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
The registered manager had developed social stories for people living in Sheridan House on topics related to COVID-19, which included regular testing. These supported people’s understanding of why they were having COVID-19 tests and what they should expect. Information was provided to people in easy read formats.
People were encouraged to have tests weekly, and people were empowered to decide if they were tested, and where the test would take place. For example, one person in the service chose to be tested on their mini bus.
All people living in the service, and staff had COVID-19 risk assessments. This included information on how to keep people safe and how to minimise the spread of infection. The manager had a business continuity plan in place and had identified areas of the building which would be used if there was an outbreak.
Staff ensured all visitors to the service, including professional visitors and contractors, had their temperature taken on arrival and completed a health questionnaire. Visitors wore full PPE (personal protective equipment) throughout the duration of their visit. Relatives met with people outside in an external building. These visits were made by appointment, and the room was cleaned by staff after each visit.
The service looked extremely clean and was odourless. The registered manager carried out regular spot-checks on the cleanliness of the building and completed formal infection prevention and control audits.
Sheridan House is a residential care home providing personal care and support to nine people with learning disabilities and autism at the time of the inspection. The care home is a large building across two floors. Each person’s bedroom has ensuite facilities as well as having access to a shared dining room, lounge, kitchen and large garden.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service was registered for the support of up to nine people. This care home was larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The recently employed registered manager had made a lot of changes to the environment and care practices that meant people experienced more personalised support and a homelier atmosphere with lots of photographs, flowers and redecoration.
People were able to access food and drink when they wanted and staff understood their dietary needs. People had choice and staff supported them to access a range of health and social care professionals.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
People and their relatives and advocates were fully involved in all decisions about their care and support. Staff treated people kindly, with compassion and respect and worked hard to support their different communication needs to enable people to have a voice and make choices.
People felt safe as they were supported by staff who were trained to understand their conditions and risks were well managed. People had access to enough staff to meet their needs at all times. Staff had a good understanding of how to keep people safe and were confident to report concerns. People were supported well with their medicines including reducing medicines where possible and safe to do so.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 27 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Sheridan House provides care and support for up to nine people with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum conditions. At the time of our inspection, seven people were living at the service.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
Potential risks to people’s health, safety and welfare had been reduced because there were effective risk assessments in place that gave guidance to staff on how to support people safely. There were systems in place to safeguard people from avoidable harm and staff had been trained in safeguarding procedures. The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there was sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely. People’s medicines were managed safely.
Staff had regular supervision and they had been trained to meet people’s individual needs. They understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people’s consent prior to care and support being provided. The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the related Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) had been met.
People were supported by caring, friendly and respectful staff. They were supported to make choices about how they lived their lives. There was a relaxed atmosphere throughout the home, and people appeared happy and content. People had enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing. They were supported to access other health services when required.
People’s needs had been assessed and they had care plans that took account of their individual needs, preferences, and choices. People and their relatives had been involved in planning and reviewing people’s care plans. A variety of activities were provided to help people to socialise and they enjoyed pursuing their interests outside of the home.
The provider had an effective system to handle complaints and concerns. They encouraged feedback from people who used the service, their relatives, other professionals and staff, and they acted on the comments received to continually improve the quality of the service.
The provider’s quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive continuous improvements. The manager provided stable leadership and effective support to the staff. They worked effectively with staff to promote a caring and inclusive culture within the service. Collaborative working with people's relatives and other professionals resulted in positive care outcomes for people who used the service.
We carried out an unannounced inspection on 8 January 2015. At our last inspection in August 2013 we found that the provider was meeting their legal requirements in the areas we looked at.
The home provides care and support for up to nine people who have learning difficulties. At the time of our inspection there were eight people living at the home.
There was a registered manager at 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.
People were safe and the provider had effective systems in place to safeguard people. People’s medicines were administered safely and they were given a choice of nutritious food and drink throughout the day.
People were supported regularly by an advocacy service and three people had an appointed Independent Mental Capacity Advocate to support them. Staff supported people to follow their hobbies and interest.
Support records included personal information, reflected people’s wishes and were reviewed regularly. There were personalised assessments in place to reduce the risk of harm occurring to people, and the provider had plans in place to keep people safe in an emergency.
There was enough skilled, trained staff to meet people’s identified support needs. The provider had a robust recruitment procedure that enabled them to be confident that newly recruited staff were suitable for the posts to which they had been appointed. Staff received on-going training and were supported to gain professional qualifications. They had regular supervision meetings at which their performance and training needs were discussed.
Staff were caring and protected people’s dignity and privacy. They understood the provider’s vision and values, which were embedded in their day to day practice. They felt supported by the manager and were aware of their roles and responsibilities.
The provider complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). They had an effective complaints system and listened to people’s comments on improvements that could be made to the service provided.
We carried out a further inspection on 09 August 2013, and found that new systems had been introduced to ensure that people were safely supported in all their activities.
We observed positive engagement between staff and people who used the service, and the staff we spoke with were familiar with the level of support each person required to ensure care was effective and safe.
We observed positive engagement between staff and people who used the service. People were treated respectfully, and encouraged and supported to make their own decisions. People's body language indicated that they were comfortable and at ease with the staff that supported them.
We found the recruitment systems were sufficient to ensure the staff employed were suitable to work in this environment, and staff had undergone training which enabled them to care for people's complex needs safely and efficiently. Where people presented with behaviour which required physical intervention from staff, this was carried out safely and clearly recorded.
There were personalised care management plans and risk assessments in place. However, we found some staff were unfamiliar with them, or there was insufficient information to ensure care was always delivered safely and with continuity.
Robust medication systems ensured people received their prescribed medication on time and in a way that suited their needs.
Care plans were personalised and gave staff good guidance on the ways in which each person preferred to be supported. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and their healthcare needs were met so that they maintained good health. Assessments of risk had been carried out and plans were in place to manage, and thereby reduce, risks to people.
Staff had received training in how to protect vulnerable people and demonstrated they knew the procedures for reporting any concerns. Staff told us that they had received regular supervision and had undergone training in a range of topics so that they were competent to carry out their role.
The provider had measures in place to monitor the quality of the service and ensure that the views of the people who lived at the home were taken into account.
There was a homely atmosphere and people were encouraged to make personal choices relating to their care and how they spent their time.