Sunnyside House Limited

Updated 4 November 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service

Sunnyside House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced. The inspection activity started on 1 September 2021 when we visited the service and finished on 27 September 2021. We completed some of this inspection remotely to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven learners living in the service and seven staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, senior support workers and support workers. We spoke with, or received email feedback from six learner’s relatives, a health care consultant and a social care commissioner, to hear their views of the service.

We reviewed a range of records. This included care and support records relating to three learner’s care and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision, safeguarding reports, staff roster, training information and risk assessments. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, minutes of meetings and provider quality assurance surveys were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

Updated 4 November 2021

About the service

Sunnyside House provides accommodation with personal care for up to 14 adults, specialising in supporting people with learning disabilities to develop life skills to support their transition into independent living. The service consists of 12 en-suite bedrooms and two additional independence transition flats with their own kitchen. The service is located close to the local facilities, including, library, pub, shops, and health services.

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

People living at Sunnyside House liked to refer to themselves as 'Learners'. This is because the service is set up to be a stepping stone to independent living and focuses on equipping people with the skills and confidence they will need to develop; therefore we have used this term to describe people using this service.

Staff at Sunnyside House were exceptionally responsive and caring in meeting people’s individual care and support needs resulting in positive outcomes for learners. One relative told us, “I’ve never come across an organisation like this, five-star rating all the time.” Another said their family member, “Is just so happy there, you can’t get more than that, if [family member] is happy we are happy…We are happy with everything, we work together, overall understanding of people’s needs is very good.”

Staff were highly motivated, caring and compassionate, sharing a joint focus of supporting learners to receive a high-quality service and to be as independent as possible. Learners spoke about the close bonds they had developed with staff, and the person-centred support they received to overcome any barriers which were preventing them achieving their goals.

Learners were supported in a clean and hygienic environment. One relative told us, “It’s always clean.” Staff followed safe infection prevention and control processes and guidance was available to support staff and update relatives, including visiting arrangements, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Risk’s to learner’s safety were assessed. Learners told us they felt safe, and if they had any worries knew who to talk to. Staff knew how to report any concerns. Learners received their medicines as prescribed and had access to a range of health and social care professionals when needed.

The service followed safe recruitment procedures, and ensured there were enough, trained and skilled staff available to meet learner’s needs. Staff praised the induction they received, their supportive colleagues, and positive teamwork.

The registered manager engaged and consulted well with learners, relatives, staff, health and social care professionals. Learners engaged with the management team and were aware when they were on duty. Staff felt supported and valued, saying they would recommend the service as a good place to work.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and worked well alongside other professionals and external agencies to meet learner’s needs. This included systems to support learners, their relatives and staff to feedback their views and influence change.

Learners 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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service were able to demonstrate how they were meeting, and exceeding the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. A significant emphasis continued to be placed on providing person centred care to enable learners to set and achieve their goals to be as independent as they could be. Although the model and size of the service was not in line with current best practice guidance; it did not impact on learners having choice and control over their lives. Learners were continually involved in making choices and decisions regarding their home and told us they felt listened to. Staff’s focus worked in a way which empowered and promoted learner’s independence.

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 6 February 2018)

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to outstanding. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

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.