Sunnyside Domicilliary Support Services Limited

Updated 22 January 2020

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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live 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.

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

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us. We also needed to make sure a member of staff would be available to support the inspection

Inspection activity started on 17 December 2019 and ended on 7 January 2020. We visited people and looked at their records on 17 December 2019. The registered manager was on leave on that date until the end of December 2019, so we visited the registered office on 7 January 2020 to meet with the registered manager and look at further documents.

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 of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met three people who used the service and one relative to find out about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff, including the registered manager, the deputy manager and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medicines records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We looked at training and staff support records to validate evidence found.

Updated 22 January 2020

About the service

Sunnyside Domiciliary Support Services Limited was providing personal care and support to three people at the time of inspection. Although the service supported more people than this, others did not need support with their personal care. Some people were living in a shared supported living setting and others were living in their own individual flats. The service provides specialist support to people with learning disabilities and autism, to help them to live as independently as possible and achieve their goals. Staff provided flexible support across 24 hours, including overnight staff sleeping in.

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 lived in ordinary houses or blocks of flats with no signs to identify the accommodation was supported by staff. Staff did not wear a uniform, instead they wore their own clothes to make sure there were no obvious signs that others would recognise them as staff. People had access to a shared garden and shared communal areas where they could meet to socialise with others.

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

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 to gain new skills and become more independent. Staff supported people to make the choices and decisions they were able to on a day to day basis. People were part of the local community, accessing local shops, leisure and work opportunities.

There were enough staff to make sure people received the support they needed, including going out to their chosen activities or work opportunities. New staff were recruited in a safe way to make sure only suitable staff were employed. Some people needed more support to maintain their safety than others. Risks were carefully and positively managed while promoting independence. Staff understood their responsibilities in safeguarding people from abuse and helping people to understand how to stay safe.

Staff received the training, support and supervision they needed to carry out their role and consider their personal development. Staff supported people to maintain and improve their health by encouraging a healthy diet and to access healthcare when needed.

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’s care and support was planned and provided in a way that put them at the centre of planning. Staff knew people well, their likes, dislikes and what and who was important to them. The individual way people communicated was key to their support, including verbally, or by their behaviour or body language.

There was an open culture, led by a registered manager, who was also the provider, and described by staff as being approachable and supportive. People knew the registered manager well and spoke about them. The registered manager had a good oversight of the service, using their monitoring processes and visiting often, to make sure people received a good quality and safe service.

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 15 February 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.