Sudley Road

Updated 10 January 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service,and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on the 6 November 2018. This was an announced inspection which meant the provider was given two working days’ notice. This was because the location provides a supported living service and we wanted to make sure the people we needed to speak to were available.

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors. Before we visited the service, we checked the information we held about this location and we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service including statutory notifications and any safeguarding referrals. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send to the CQC. We used this information to decide what areas to focus on during our inspection.

We made arrangements to speak to people in their own homes during the inspection. We contacted four health and social care professionals who have been involved in the service in the last 12 months and one person responded.

During the visit we spoke with four people who use the service, the registered manager, the deputy manager and four support staff and three relatives. We spent time observing the way staff interacted with people and looked at the records relating to support and decision making for six people. We looked at records about the management of the service and reviewed three staff recruitment files.

Updated 10 January 2019

This inspection took place at Sudley Road, Bognor Regis on the 6 November 2018. This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Sudley Road is registered to provide personal care services to people with learning disabilities living within supported living accommodation. At the time of the inspection 21 people were living in individual flats supported by this service of which 13 people were receiving personal care.

The care service is in line with some of the values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidelines. 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.

We had previously inspected Sudley Road in April 2016 and rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good. However, we found some areas had deteriorated and needed to improve. Records were not always accurate or clear. The procedure for ensuring that staff had read updated guidance was not robust. Information was not always accessible to people in a format that was relevant to their communication and information needs.

There was 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 service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Records showed that staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to provide safe care and protect people. There were sufficient staff available to provide the care and support people needed.

New staff received a comprehensive induction and demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff told us that they received very good training from the provider and felt confident that the support they provided was safe and effective to meet people’s needs. Staff told us that they ensured people were involved in decisions on how to manage the risks they faced and regularly reviewed risk assessments.

Staff knew their responsibilities as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

We observed that staff were friendly, respectful, patient and caring towards individuals. People were approached with a supportive and compassionate manner and staff had a good understanding of protecting people’s dignity and privacy. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and to access health care services when they needed to.People were receiving care in a personalised way. Staff were responsive to changes in people’s needs.

There was a system of quality assurance led by the provider and registered manager that ensured people received good care and support. The registered manager had systems in place to obtain the views of people who use the service. Staff told us that the service was well managed and there was good support. The registered manager promoted a culture or respect, involvement and independence.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.