Sydney Brown Court

This service operates an assisted living scheme in a purpose-built development called Sydney Brown Court. This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to older people living in their own flats. The development within central Ipswich consists of 34 flats occupied by older people who also share some communal areas and facilities; such as a dining rooms, lounges and gardens.

At the time of our comprehensive inspection of 25 June 2019, there were 32 people in receipt of the regulated activity of personal care.

People’s experience of using this service:

Effective systems were in place to ensure people's safety. Risks were assessed and monitored, there were sufficient staff to support people and safe recruitment procedures were followed.

Staffing levels enabled people to maintain choice and involvement in their care and daily routine.

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.

People were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was protected. People were supported and encouraged to remain independent.

The provider had effective quality assurance systems to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided. People were asked for their views and their suggestions were used to improve the service and make any necessary changes.

For more details, please see this full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

The last rating for this service was Good (4 January 2017). This inspection was a planned, the timing was based on the previous rating. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Your Life (Ipswich) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.

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.

There were systems in place which provided guidance for care workers on how to safeguard the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Care workers understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe. There were procedures and processes in place to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. These included risk assessments which identified how the risks to people were minimised.

Where people required assistance to take their medicines, there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.

There were sufficient numbers of care workers who were trained and supported to meet the needs of the people who used the service. Care workers were caring and respectful and had good relationships with the people they cared for.

People were involved in making decisions about their care and support and people received care and support which was planned and delivered to meet their specific needs.

Where people required assistance with their dietary needs, there were systems in place to provide this support safely. Where required, people were provided support to access health care professionals.

A complaints procedure was in place and people’s concerns and complaints were listened to, addressed in a timely manner and used to improve the service.

There was good leadership in the service. The service had a quality assurance system and shortfalls were addressed. As a result the quality of the service continued to improve.

Is the service safe?

People who used the service told us they were treated with respect and dignity by staff. People told us they felt safe and that if they had any concerns they would raise these with staff or with the manager. People got the support they needed when they needed it and risks to people's safety were identified and managed.

Is the service effective?

People received the care and support they required to meet their needs and maintain their health and welfare. People who lived at the service were included in making decisions about how the service was run. People's care and support had been reviewed and care plans regularly updated. Staff had been provided with up to date training in a range of topics including manual handling.

Is the service caring?

People who lived at the service and their relatives told us staff were caring and respectful. People were supported by attentive staff who were readily available to support them. We saw that staff showed warmth and familiarity in their one to one interactions with the people who used the service.

Is the service responsive?

People who lived at the service were listened to and their views were acted upon. People were asked to give feedback on their experience of the service. The registered manager did this, through the use of surveys and meetings. People's feedback was then used to make improvements to the service.

Is the service well-led?

During our inspection we looked at the quality assurance systems currently in place at the service. We found that the provider had put in place both internal and external audits designed to monitor the quality of the service. We saw records which confirmed that the provider had an effective system in place to take account of comments or complaints relating to the service.

We spoke with six people about the care they received. One person told us, 'The staff are very kind, I have a lovely girl who comes to help me.' Another person told us, 'They are so nice, they make me smile.'

We found that the care plans did not always reflect the individual personal care needs of the person who used the service. We were not assured that the care planning always met individual needs. We found that through speaking with people and observing interactions between people and care staff that people were treated with dignity and respect. People's independence and expressed wishes were also respected.

We found that people's medication was being recorded and administered effectively and safely. We also found that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive. However the service was not always clear on its purpose in providing personal care, this was because many people felt this was a care home and not a very sheltered housing accommodation.

We found that the manager was providing a week day food service, beyond the requirements of a supported living service. Eight people fed back to us that the food was very good and that they appreciated the opportunity to purchase food and eat in a communal environment. Our observations confirmed that people were supported to access nutritious food and plentiful fluids and choices were provided.

We spoke with five members of staff and noted that they all knew the potential signs of abuse and how to take action to prevent it. The service had dealt appropriately with recent safeguarding issues.

Staff had received refresher training in all mandatory topics and displayed a good knowledge of people's needs and how to meet them.

People told us that they were able to choose how they spent their time. Some people preferred to stay in their flats, where as other people chose to socialise with other tenants in communal areas of the service. We spent time talking with a group of people sitting in the dining area. They told us that they liked to meet every afternoon to play cards and talk to each other over tea and biscuits. They told us that they were happy with the service they received and were complimentary about the staff.

We spoke with four people to find out what it was like living in Sydney Brown Court. They told us that they were content living in the service. One person told us, "I am very happy here, I count my self very lucky to have found Sydney Brown Court'. One person commented, 'I am very happy, the staff are good, they always turn up on time and they have never missed a visit'. However, one person told us that staff had missed their scheduled visits, on three separate occasions.