Archived: Sundial House

Sundial House is a residential care home that provides accommodation and nursing or personal care for up to six people some of whom have learning disabilities and autism. At the time of this inspection, six people were receiving support from this service.

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 coordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Although quality assurance processes were in place, some of the audits carried out by the registered manager were not recorded appropriately. Staff required refresher training in mental health awareness and learning disabilities. Risk assessment processes needed reviewing to ensure a consistent approach in how the service assessed the level of risks to people. People had support to discuss their end of life wishes but their decisions were not reviewed regularly to ensure it remained the same. The registered manager told us they would address these concerns immediately.

Staff were aware of the actions they had to take should they noticed people being at risk to harm or when incidents and accidents took place. People told us there was enough staff to support them with activities of their choice. Staff undertook appropriate checks before they commenced employment with the provider. People were assisted to manage their medicines safely and independently where possible. Systems were in place to ensure hygienic care for people.

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 told us they got on well with each other and that they liked living at Sundial House. Staff assessed people’s desired outcomes helping them to achieve their full potential. People had access to healthcare professionals when they needed it. Staff prepared meals for people according to their choices and tastes.

People and their relatives had appreciated the staff team and described them as kind, caring and friendly. People were encouraged to make every day decisions that involved staff asking for their consent to care provision. Staff were respectful towards people’s privacy and dignity.

People’s care plans were person centred and individualised. Staff were flexible in the way they supported people to build on their strengths. We saw staff using people’s preferred communication methods. People felt confident to approach staff if they wanted to make changes to their care delivery.

Family members told us that their relatives were provided with good quality care at this service. Staff were aware of their role requirements which included effective communication and information sharing.

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 26 April 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.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

At the last inspection on 23 October 2014, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

People were safe because staff understood any risks involved in their care and took action to minimise these risks. The rota was planned to ensure there were sufficient staff to keep people safe and meet their needs. Staff understood their roles in keeping people safe and protecting them from abuse. The provider carried out appropriate pre-employment checks before staff started work.

Medicines were managed safely. Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed to ensure any measures that could prevent a recurrence had been implemented. Staff maintained appropriate standards of fire safety. The provider had developed plans to ensure that people’s care would not be interrupted in the event of an emergency. People were protected against the risk of infection because the home was clean and hygienic.

People’s care was provided by regular staff who knew their needs well and provided support in a consistent way. Staff had access to the induction, training and support they needed to do their jobs. 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 to eat food they enjoyed and were encouraged to maintain a healthy diet. Staff were aware of any dietary restrictions involved in people’s care. People’s healthcare needs were monitored and they were supported to obtain treatment if they needed it. People who had ongoing conditions were supported to see specialist healthcare professionals regularly.

People enjoyed living at the home and had developed positive relationships with staff and their housemates. Staff treated people with respect and maintained their privacy and dignity. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families and were able to invite guests whenever they wished. People were encouraged to be independent and were supported by staff to learn and develop new skills.

People were encouraged to give their views about the service they received and the provider responded positively to feedback. People had access to activities they enjoyed and had opportunities to enjoy an active social life. People were involved in their local community

The registered manager provided good leadership for the service. They were experienced in their role and communicated well with people, relatives and staff. Staff felt valued and had access to support and advice from the registered manager if they needed it. Staff shared important information about people’s needs effectively. Team meetings were used to ensure staff were providing consistent care that reflected best practice.

The provider’s quality monitoring checks ensured people received safe and effective care and support. Staff worked co-operatively with other professionals to ensure people received the care and treatment they needed. Records were well organised and up to date.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Residents told us that they were happy at the home and that staff provided good support. They said that they could choose how they spent their time and take part in activities that they enjoyed. One resident told us, 'The staff are good. They help me if I need it' and another said, 'Everyone here is nice. We all get on well.'

The relative we spoke with told us that their family member received good care and that the home kept them up to date about any events affecting their family member. The relative said of their family member, 'He's well looked after. It's a homely environment and the staff know him well.'

We found that residents were encouraged to develop skills, to be part of their local community and to enjoy active social lives.

We found that the provider had appropriate arrangements for the safe management of medicines.

Staff told us that they had access to the training and support they needed to do their jobs. They said that they had opportunities to achieve further qualifications and to discuss their professional development.

We found that the provider had developed an effective system to monitor the quality of service that people received which included seeking the views of residents, relatives and staff.