Archived: Sunnycroft

Updated 13 October 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 23 August 2016 and was carried out by two inspectors. The inspection was unannounced.

We requested information about the homes from the local authority and Healthwatch. The local authority has responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care. We also reviewed information we held about the home including statutory notifications which had been sent to us by the provider. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

During our inspection we spent time with people in the communal areas of the home and spoke with two people. We spoke with the provider's representative, the registered manager, one senior staff members and four care workers. We also spoke with two people’s relatives on the telephone.

We looked at three people's care and medicines records. We looked at the records showing how staff checked people were enjoying the best health possible. These included records showing when people had seen health care professionals. We also saw records showing how staff worked with health and social care professionals so decisions would be made in people’s best interests.

We looked at records of staff training and two staff member’s recruitment files. We also looked at information about how the manager monitored the quality of the service, minutes of meetings with people living at the home, minutes of staff meetings and complaint records.

Updated 13 October 2016

The inspection took place on 23 August 2016 and was unannounced. Sunnycroft provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people. People living at the home had a wide range of complex mental health and physical needs. There were four people living at the home at the time of our inspection. People had their own rooms and the use of a number of communal areas including a lounge and dining area and a garden.

We spent time with people who lived at the home and spoke with two people about the care and support they received. The examples we have given are therefore brief because we respect people’s right to confidentiality.

A registered manager was in post at the time of our inspection. 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 supported by staff who understood their safety needs and took action to reduce risks. People were able to obtain support from staff promptly when they needed this. There were enough staff to care for people and staff knew what actions to take if they had any concerns for people's wellbeing or safety. People were supported to take their medicines so they would remain well.

Staff provided support to people so they would have enough to eat and drink in ways which helped to reduce risks to people’s safety. People benefited from living in a home where staffs’ skills were continually developed, and people were supported by staff who knew them well. People received help from staff to see health professionals so they would remain well. Staff worked with other organisations so people's rights to make decisions and their freedoms were protected.

People had built caring relationships with staff and enjoyed spending time with the registered manager and provider. People were encouraged to make their own decisions about their day to day care, where this was possible. People's rights to dignity and privacy was understood and acted upon by staff.

People’s care was planned in ways which took into account their preferences and life histories and their current care needs. Staff took action when people's needs changed. People had opportunities to do things they enjoyed doing, both in the community and at the home, so they enjoyed an increased sense of well-being. People had not needed to raise any complaints about the service, but were confident action would be taken if complaints were made.

Staff provided support to people to make any suggestions about the care provided. People had opportunities to feedback about their experience of living at the home. Staff understood what was expected of them and were supported by the registered manager and senior staff to provide good care to people. Checks were made on the quality of the care by registered manager and provider. Actions were taken to further improve people’s experience of living at the home.