We carried out a review of the data available to us about Sunset Cottage on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Sunset Cottage, you can give feedback on this service.
Sunset Cottage is a residential care home providing personal care for up to five people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of this inspection there were five people living there. The property is a detached house in a residential area on the edge of Chudleigh. There are no outward signs that it is a care home.
Sunset Cottage is registered under the provider name of Dalskats Limited and operates under a brand name of "Home Orchard", along with three other local services. The four services share administrative facilities, records and management systems based at Palace Farm. The four services are all located within approximately 400 yards of each other. The services work closely together; staff work between the services by agreement and people living in each service mix socially and share some day activities.
The service has been developed and designed in line with 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 receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Sunset Cottage offers people a wide range of opportunities to lead an active and fulfilling life. People used the facilities in the grounds of Palace Farm next door where they could pursue activities such as gardening, bee keeping, animal care, games, arts and crafts. Palace Farm is a smallholding which was set up for people with learning disabilities who live in the four homes run by the provider. One person had enjoyed looking after and riding two horses until they were recently retired, and they looked forward to new horses being introduced in the near future. People held voluntary jobs and attended social events, clubs and churches in the local community.
There was a stable, happy and well-trained staff group. People told us they liked all the staff and comments included, "I like the staff". People said staff were always kind. There were enough staff to support each person in their daily activities. Care was taken when recruiting staff to ensure new staff were entirely suitable for the job. People living in the home were involved in choosing new staff. Staff praised the providers and management team for the support they received. Comments included, "It’s a lovely place to work".
The home was comfortable, clean, well maintained and safe. People were involved and consulted in the decoration and furnishings. Risk assessments had been carried out on the environment, equipment, and on people’s health, wellbeing and daily activities. Staff knew how to support people to stay as safe and healthy as possible.
People were supported to eat a healthy diet. They grew many plants and vegetables in the gardens which were used in their meals. They also used eggs from their own chickens and honey from their own bees. People were supported to plan and prepare their own meals as far as they were able.
Each person had their own support plan setting out clearly how they wanted to be supported in all areas of their daily lives. Support plans were regularly reviewed and updated. Relatives were involved and consulted.
The service was well-led. There were good systems in place to monitor and improve the service. People, staff and relatives praised the providers and management team for their caring ethos. Comments from relatives included, “I am very happy with my son’s placement at Sunset Cottage, Palace Farm. He considers it his home after being there for many years and knows the staff and other residents well”, “We believe this is a very well-run service” and “Sunset is well run and communication between staff and myself frequent”.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported/ did not support this practice.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
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 12 July 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
This inspection took place on 20 June 2017 and was unannounced.
Sunset Cottage was previously registered as a part of “Home Orchard”, which remains as a brand name for four small services providing accommodation and support for people in Chudleigh. In 2016 it was re-registered with the Care Quality Commission, and is now registered under a limited company, Dalskats Limited. The service is in close proximity to three other services which share some administrative facilities, records systems and the brand name. Two other services are registered under Dalskats Limited, and the other is registered under the providers as a partnership. The services work closely together; staff work between the services by agreement and people living in each service mix socially and share some day activities.
The service has 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. The registered manager is also a director of the company.
People benefitted because the service had a well understood, positive and open culture, with a clear set of values, ethos and clear lines of management. People, staff and others were encouraged to give their views on what worked well at the service and what could be improved. This information was shared on the services website, including in an easy read version so people could see how their input was able to make changes at the service. Staff told us it was very important to them that people at the service “had a voice”.
People were protected from the risk of abuse as staff understood the signs of abuse and how to report concerns. People were encouraged to speak out if they were worried about anything and had systems in place to help them keep safe when out in the community. Risks to people were identified and plans were put in place to minimise these risks. For example, where people had healthcare conditions that could present risks there were clear and well understood protocols in place to assist staff. Systems were in place to ensure complaints were responded to and managed. Easy read documents were available to help people understand how to raise concerns.
People received their medicines safely as prescribed. Any errors were audited and actions taken to reduce any risk of re-occurrence. Medicines were stored safely, and records completed when people received their medicines.
People were supported by sufficient numbers of well trained and supported staff to meet their needs. Staff recruitment systems were robust, and helped to ensure that people were not supported by staff who may be unsuitable to work with people. Staff told us they had received sufficient training and support to enable them to carry out their role effectively, and we saw through the training records that this was done.
Sunset Cottage provided a safe environment where risks to people had been assessed and were being managed. The cottage was a detached house in close proximity to other properties operated by Dalskats Limited. The property provided each person with a bedroom and bathroom, with a choice of communal space for people who wanted to spend quieter time as well as a large lounge.
People’s rights were respected. Staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and had received training in its implementation. Where people lacked capacity to make an informed decision, staff acted in their best interests. Staff could tell us about the act and were recording any best interest decisions appropriately. Applications had been made to deprive people of their liberty under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) where necessary and staff both understood and were complying with any conditions imposed by the authorisation.
People were supported to have enough to eat and drink. Mealtimes were social experiences and people were involved in the planning, cooking and choosing of their meals. The providers placed a high emphasis on good quality, varied and nutritious foods. No-one was at risk of malnutrition.
The service had a happy, positive and welcoming atmosphere. We saw staff were supportive, compassionate and caring in their relationships with people. People were valued for their contributions to the life of the service and who they were. Staff were keen to support people to develop to their full potential, and staff worked with other agencies to support this, for example with local medical services and specialist learning disability support teams.
People were treated with dignity and respect. They were encouraged to take part in the daily life of the service, develop new skills and maximise their independence. For example, people told us they mowed the lawns and kept their rooms tidy. People were encouraged to cook meals with staff support and do their personal laundry.
Staff understood people’s needs, were thoughtful and reflective about the care they gave people and ensured their care plans including personal aspirations were met. People had been involved in drawing up their support plans and weekly activity profiles, with identified staff to support them, which helped to reduce anxiety. People benefitted from personalised activities that met their choices and interests. They were active in the local community, and encouraged to take up new hobbies and interests. The service harnessed staff skills and hobbies to help offer additional opportunities for people living at the home with a shared interest, for example cycling.
People and staff spoke highly of the management team and confirmed they were approachable. There were regular staff meetings and staff received regular supervision and appraisal. This was provided as often as staff needed this, and was offered after any incidents to debrief staff and analyse if anything could have prevented the incident.
Records were well maintained and kept securely. The service had notified the CQC of incidents at the home as required by law.