Sapphire House

Updated 19 September 2020

The inspection

This was a targeted inspection on a specific concern we had about ligature risks, safeguarding and support for people experiencing mental health crisis.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Sapphire house is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to check if anyone was displaying any symptoms of the virus and to be aware of the provider’s infection control procedures.

Inspection activity started on 29 June and ended on 20 July. We visited the location on 1 July.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

We contacted health and social care professionals to obtain feedback about their experience of the service. These professionals included local authority commissioners and local authority safeguarding teams. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We observed staff interactions with people and observed care and support in communal areas.

We spoke with four staff including; support workers, the registered manager and the operations director.

We reviewed some records and requested additional information to be forwarded to us. This included three people’s personal records, support plans and a range of people’s risk assessments, staff rotas and staff training records. We also received a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and meeting minutes.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 19 September 2020

Sapphire House is a residential care home for up to seven people who may be living with a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder and a mental health condition or complex needs. The property is a detached house on a residential street which has been converted to self-contained flats and bedrooms with communal areas. There were five people living in the home when we visited.

At our last inspection on 27 and 29 January 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection on 12 and 13 December 2018 we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There were good systems in place to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. All risks to people were assessed individually and there was detailed guidance available for staff. There were enough suitably trained and safely recruited staff to meet people’s needs. Medicines were received, stored, administered and disposed of correctly. Staff understood how to prevent and control infection and all the necessary health and safety checks were completed to ensure a safe environment. Accidents and incidents were recorded, analysed and reviewed to identify any trends and to prevent future reoccurrence.

People’s needs had been assessed before they moved into the home and people received personalised care which was responsive to their needs. Support plans were person centred and focused on outcomes for people and the support they needed to meet these outcomes. People had enough to eat and drink, were supported with their dietary needs and were offered choice around their food. People had access to the healthcare they needed. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were supported by caring staff who respected them and promoted their independence. People’s needs around their communication were met and people were encouraged to be involved with all aspects of their day to day support. Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity and supported them to keep in contact with their families who could visit whenever they wanted.

The service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the 'Registering the Right Support' and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service could live as ordinary a life as any citizen. These values were seen in practice at the home. For example, the building was like any other on the road with no signs to show it was a care home. Staff did not wear uniforms and people lived their lives in the ways they wanted.

People and relatives told us they could raise any complaints they had with the registered manager. The complaints procedure was available and the provider actively sought feedback from people and their relatives. The registered manager reviewed any complaints to ensure the appropriate action had been taken and any learning identified.

People and staff told us the home was well managed and all our observations and evidenced gathered during our inspection supported this. Staff understood the vision and values of the home and felt supported by the management team. The managers promoted a positive, person centred and professional culture, had good oversight of the quality of the home and managed any risks. There was good record keeping and monitoring to ensure people received the support they needed. The provider promoted continuous learning by reviewing all audits, feedback and accidents and incidents.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.