Sutton Court Associates Limited - 17 Shakespeare Road

Sutton Court Associates Limited – 17 Shakespeare Road, provides personal care for up to six people living with a learning disability and/or autism. At the time of the inspection, the home was full. The service applied 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 received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were involved in all aspects of the service and their views were listened to and acted upon. People were encouraged to make decisions relating to their care and support; their independence was supported and promoted. 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.

Referrals for people to come and live at the service were received from local authorities. Careful thought was given to the assessment process and people already living at the home were asked for their feedback about any potential, new admissions. Care plans were detailed and written in a person-centred way. Staff were knowledgeable of people’s support needs and delivered care in line with people’s needs and preferences. Staff completed a range of training that enabled them to deliver personalised care to people.

People were encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the home, from planning and choosing menus, to deciding how they wanted their rooms decorated. People decided how they wanted to spend their time and what activities they wanted to participate in, at home and in the community. Some people attended day centres during the week. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals and service. Positive, caring and compassionate relationships had been developed between people and staff.

People were protected from harm by staff who had completed safeguarding training; staff knew what actions to take if they suspected any form of abuse. Risks to people were identified and assessed as needed, with guidance for staff which was followed. There were enough staff to support people and help them engage with activities; staff worked flexibly. Medicines were managed safely.

A range of audits was effective in measuring and monitoring all aspects of the service to drive improvement. Staff felt supported by the management team and involved in developing the service. People’s views were obtained, listened to and acted upon; relatives’ feedback was positive.

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 24 January 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.

Sutton Court, Shakespeare Road is located in Worthing, West Sussex. It is registered to accommodate a maximum of six people. The home provides support to people living with a learning disability or autistic spectrum conditions, who may need assistance with their personal care and support needs. The home itself is a large detached property, with ensuite rooms, a communal kitchen, lounge and gardens. On the day of our inspection there were six people living at the home.

The home had a registered manager. 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 protected from harm and abuse. There were sufficient quantities of appropriately skilled and experienced staff who had undertaken the necessary training to enable them to recognise concerns and respond appropriately. Peoples’ freedom was not unnecessarily restricted and they were able to take risks in accordance with risk assessments that had been devised and implemented.

Peoples’ independence was promoted and encouraged and people were able to choose how to live their lives. One person told us, “I can choose who I go out with and I pick the ones I like”. People who were able, were able to independently dispense and administer their own medicines, this was risk assessed and monitored by staff to ensure their safety. People received their medicines on time and according to their preferences, from staff with the necessary training and who had their competence assessed. There were safe systems in place for the storage, administration and disposal of medicines.

People were supported by staff with the necessary skills and experience to meet their needs. They had access to regular training and observations showed that they supported people appropriately. People were asked their consent before being supported and staff had a good awareness of legislative requirements with regard to making decisions on behalf of people who lacked capacity. One member of staff told us, “We always get their consent first”.

People and their relatives, if appropriate, were fully involved in the planning, review and delivery of care and were able to make their wishes and preferences known. Support plans were person-centred and documented peoples’ needs and wishes in relation to their social, emotional and health needs and these were reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that they were current.

There were varied responses with regard to the food that was provided. Most people were happy with the food and were able to choose what they had to eat. One person told us, “I like the food here, X is a good cook”. People’s health needs were assessed and met and they had access to medicines and healthcare professionals when required.

The home had a relaxed, friendly and homely atmosphere. When asked about the ethos of the service provided, one member of staff told us, “To create a home for life based on the concept of family”. Staff worked in accordance with peoples’ wishes and people were treated with respect and dignity. It was apparent that staff knew peoples’ needs and preferences well. Positive relationships had developed between people and staff. One person told us, “I like living here, I have a key worker, I get on with them. I’m happy, I’m not angry”. Another person told us, “They’re very kind, I like them”.

The registered manager welcomed feedback and used this to drive improvements and change. There were minimal complaints and those that had been made were dealt with effectively and in accordance with the provider’s policy. There were quality assurance processes in place to enable the registered manager to have oversight of the home and to ensure that people were receiving the quality of service they had a right to expect. People, relatives and staff were complimentary about the leadership and management of the home. One member of staff told us, “I think that the leadership and management is good, it allows us to express ourselves and bring something to the table, we are not restricted from giving input”. When asked what was important in relation to the running of the home, the registered manager told us, “We are here because of these guys”.

We found that people's individual preferences were respected and catered for, and they were supported to go out into the community and partake in a range of activities. They were encouraged to be as independent as possible and to participate in the life of the home.

We found that people's care was being properly managed and that everyone had a robust, comprehensive and detailed support plan in place that was reviewed and updated. We saw the relationship and interactions between staff and people who use the service were positive and respectful.

We spoke with relatives of one person using the service who told us that they were happy with the service provided and that the care was of an excellent standard provided by friendly professional staff. Another relative told us that staff communicated with them regularly and that staff had made them aware of the complaints procedure; but they had never had cause to use it. A mother of another client commented on how happy she was with the service and that the staff were "wonderful".

We found that consent to care and treatment was documented in writing to show that people were included in decisions about their care. Where appropriate, people's family members were also included in discussions about care and treatment.

We found that people's care and treatment had been planned and implemented in line with their needs and preferences. People's care plans were robust and detailed. They included information for staff about how people wished to be supported. Care plans were reviewed regularly and discussed with people to ensure they reflected people's most up to date needs.

People were protected from the risk of abuse and neglect. People told us they felt safe living at Shakespeare Road. Staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults and understood how to identify and report abuse.

We found there was enough staff working at the home. People were supported to partake in leisure activities which staff facilitated.

Records were adequately maintained and stored securely.