Archived: Sunrise Operations Elstree Limited

Sunrise Operations Elstree is a large residential care home registered to provide care and support to up to 81 older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 67 people living at the home.

There was a manager in post who was in the process of registering with CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 who lived at the home told us they were happy living there and they had their needs met appropriately. Relatives and professionals involved with people’s care and support gave us positive and complimentary feedback about the service and said that they had no concerns about the care and support people received.

People, their relatives and professionals involved with the care and support of people who used the service said that they had no concerns about people's safety at Sunrise Operations Elstree. People had health care and support plans in place to help staff know how people liked their needs to be met safely. Risks to people’s safety and welfare had been identified and people were supported to live their lives as independent as possible. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s care and support needs at all times.

Staff members understood their roles and responsibilities well and were supported by the management team to constantly develop their skills and knowledge. People enjoyed a varied and healthy diet and their health needs were met appropriately with access to a range of health care professionals.

The atmosphere in the home was warm and welcoming and the environment was well maintained. We observed positive and meaningful interactions between the staff and people who used the service. Relatives were encouraged to visit the home anytime they wished and were involved in developing people’s care and support plans. People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was maintained.

There were systems and processes in place to monitor the quality of the service. People were involved in discussions about how the service was operated. The provider promoted a positive culture within the home and staff and people told us they felt valued.

On the day of our visit, we spoke with a volunteer who said that they had offered to assist people during mealtimes and were very pleased that they had been allowed to do so. A relative we spoke with said that they had observed people being assisted during mealtimes by care staff as well as by the activity and domestic staff. We were told that all members of staff, including senior management, kitchen and domestic staff, often assisted people, especially at mealtimes.

Staff we spoke with felt supported by management. We observed that staff were readily available to assist people throughout the day and during lunchtime. Lunchtime was unhurried.

Members of staff we spoke with said that they had received regular supervision, and attended team meetings to discuss issues or concerns raised. Staff said that they enjoyed their work, and that they had been supported by management to help them provide safe and appropriate care to people.