Sunnyfield

We found the following examples of good practice.

• The premises were clean, hygienic and tidy. There was a daily routine of cleaning where each member of staff was given responsibility for cleaning.

• There was handwashing and hand sanitising points throughout the service which were used by staff and people who lived at the service.

• All staff were wearing face masks. Staff had a good understanding of personal protective equipment (PPE) and when it needed to be used.

• There was a thorough screening process for visitors where the temperature was taken, oxygen levels taken, and a screening questionnaire completed to check for any COVID symptoms.

• There were signs and updates throughout the service in an easy read format. These displayed information on safe handwashing routines and how to wear PPE correctly.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At the last comprehensive inspection in 2016, the service was rated good overall but achieved outstanding in well-led. At this inspection we found the service had continued to develop and had improved to outstanding.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Sunnyfield’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.'

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 was registered at three locations; a deputy manager was also in post to assist with the management of this location.

The service was extremely person-centred and staff were proactive in ensuring people were supported to live fulfilled and meaningful lives. Person centred means that care was tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of each person, as an individual. The vision of the service was shared by the management team and staff. The visions and values were displayed and included, ‘fulfilling lives, celebrating success and encouraging glimpses of brilliance.’

There was a range of excellent social opportunities for people which truly incorporated people, their relatives and the community. As a result, people had a sense of belonging and recognised positive improvements this approach had made to their lives.

Staff ensured that people's emotional needs were supported at sensitive moments in their life and had worked closely with them, their relatives and health care professionals, especially when managing bereavement.

Staff were passionate about ensuring they understood people's needs, abilities. visions and values. As a result, people had blossomed as individuals because of staff's positive approach. Staff understood the importance of maximising the opportunities for people and people had been able to develop their skills, seek employment, education and build friendships within the local area. Staff also had an above and beyond approach to supporting people to live truly fulfilling lives. Staff understood the importance of ensuring that they knew people's individual needs in relation to protected characteristics, values and beliefs. Protected characteristics are covered by the Equality Act for example, race, religion, disability and age.

Potential barrier to communication and relationships were addressed. People, staff and the relatives and friends of people who used the service were supported to build positive relationships.

Quality assurance systems continued to be robust and used regularly by the management team to continuously improve the service. The registered manager had a thorough system in place to ensure lessons learned were thoroughly embedded. The registered manager promoted accountability for all staff. Continuous improvement was driven by engagement with people using the service and staff. The registered manager was keen to learn from best practice to ensure people received the best possible support and outcomes.

The registered manager demonstrated clear visions and values and was passionate and committed to providing an excellent person-centred service. These values were cascaded to staff who were equally enthusiastic about fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in a way that delivered the best possible outcomes for people.

Staff were passionate and highly motivated and offered care and support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind. Respect for privacy and dignity was at the heart of the service's culture and values.

People who used the service were safe. Medication systems were followed ensuring people received medication as prescribed. Safe recruitment processes had been followed. People who used the service were involved in the interview process of potential new staff. We found there was enough staff on duty to support people safely. The service was well maintained and clean. Infection control was adhered to by staff.

Staff had been provided with training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to support people safely. Staff received regular support and guidance from the management team and were encouraged to continuously develop within their role.

People were encouraged and supported to follow a healthy balanced diet. People's choices were respected and although living with other people, each person was treated as an individual. Staff understood the importance of ensuring people received regular health checks. Staff worked in partnership with other professionals to ensure people received the best possible care and support.

A complaints policy and procedure was in place and available in formats people could understand. People were confident and complaints would be addressed appropriately.

There were good systems in place to monitor incidents and accidents. There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service.

The service had an open and inclusive culture which encouraged communication and learning. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and it was used to drive improvement.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The service was last inspected on 19 February 2013 and was fully compliant.

Sunnyfield is a residential service which offers accommodation and care for up to 10 adults who have a learning disability or mental health condition. At the time of our inspection the service was running at capacity with 10 people living there. The service consists of the main house which accommodates six people, an annexe which accommodates three people and a bungalow which accommodates one person and was purpose built to meet their needs.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager, who was present throughout our inspection. 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.

We found that the standards of care in the service were exemplary. There were good numbers of staff on duty who were well trained, and knew the people they cared for well. This meant that despite the people in the service having histories of some extreme behaviour that challenges others, we saw that their needs were met and exceeded this was clear as people had stopped displaying these behaviours on a day to day basis and incidents were rare within the service, this was possible because staff knew people so well, the very early signs of changes of mood and demeanour were picked up and distraction techniques were used to manage potential situations and avoid the need for further and more serious interventions.

We found that the care which was provided was very person centred. There was evidence of innovation throughout the service, and that staff and the senior managers cared about the well-being of the people who lived at the service.

We found that people who lived at the service were enabled to have as much input as possible into their environment. From agreeing what part they each took in the daily tasks and how people were going to live harmoniously together, to their diet, daily activities, holidays, interests and company they kept. Staff were constantly looking for opportunities to access new experiences for the people using the service, to further enrich their lives. This included social evenings organised by the provider to bring people from different services together on a monthly basis, day trips out, and charity fundraising to name but a few.

We found the service to be welcoming and homely. There were activities going on throughout our visit which were planned for each person, rather than as a group, which meant that people’s individuality was recognised and their specific needs met and interests expanded.

We found that the service was well led at all levels of management, and that the registered provider had regular and far reaching oversight of the quality of the care being delivered, as they had robust policies and procedures in place and comprehensive auditing was carried out to measure quality across all aspects of the service.

People living in the service told us they ‘loved living there’ and that the ‘staff are perfect’. Family members told us that their relative was 110% better since they had moved to Sunnyfield, and ‘it was the best thing that had ever happened to them.’ Staff told us it was the best job they had ever had, and they could not imagine working anywhere else.

The people who live in the annex had their own food cupboards that were clearly labelled and were encouraged to prepare and cook their own food. The staff in the home would accompanied people to the shops to buy food, there was a budget for people to do their own shopping.

All the people we spoke with had a high regard for their home. One person told us 'this is the happiest place I have lived in', another person told us 'I like the staff, you can have a laugh with them'.

We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager. All the staff spoke very positively about working in the home. One staff member described their experience as 'working in a family run business'.

We saw that staff had regular mandatory training and staff described the training as 'very good' and 'appropriate to the needs of the people who live here'.

We saw that staff had training in safeguarding and one of the people who used the service told us that they felt safe living in the home.

People said they made their own choices and decisions about their lives and could choose where to go on outings and holidays. People talked about their house meetings where they could suggest new ideas. One person said they were responsible for running the house meetings.

We saw that people have good relationships with staff and the home was very relaxed, welcoming and inclusive. Staff engaged in respectful conversations and friendly banter with people throughout our visit and there was a clear sense of empowerment for individuals.

We saw that people were all involved in the running of the home. They helped to prepare meals and made things like soup and cakes. Household tasks were shared between everyone. People's opinions were sought with regard to new furnishings, such as colour schemes and floor covering.

Staff involved people in their care plans and read to them what was written down about their day. People knew what was in their care plans and what their plans for the future were. One person said they were working towards more independent living.