The inspection took place on 23 August 2016 and was unannounced. Sunnycroft provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people. People living at the home had a wide range of complex mental health and physical needs. There were four people living at the home at the time of our inspection. People had their own rooms and the use of a number of communal areas including a lounge and dining area and a garden.

We spent time with people who lived at the home and spoke with two people about the care and support they received. The examples we have given are therefore brief because we respect people’s right to confidentiality.

A registered manager was 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.

People were supported by staff who understood their safety needs and took action to reduce risks. People were able to obtain support from staff promptly when they needed this. There were enough staff to care for people and staff knew what actions to take if they had any concerns for people's wellbeing or safety. People were supported to take their medicines so they would remain well.

Staff provided support to people so they would have enough to eat and drink in ways which helped to reduce risks to people’s safety. People benefited from living in a home where staffs’ skills were continually developed, and people were supported by staff who knew them well. People received help from staff to see health professionals so they would remain well. Staff worked with other organisations so people's rights to make decisions and their freedoms were protected.

People had built caring relationships with staff and enjoyed spending time with the registered manager and provider. People were encouraged to make their own decisions about their day to day care, where this was possible. People's rights to dignity and privacy was understood and acted upon by staff.

People’s care was planned in ways which took into account their preferences and life histories and their current care needs. Staff took action when people's needs changed. People had opportunities to do things they enjoyed doing, both in the community and at the home, so they enjoyed an increased sense of well-being. People had not needed to raise any complaints about the service, but were confident action would be taken if complaints were made.

Staff provided support to people to make any suggestions about the care provided. People had opportunities to feedback about their experience of living at the home. Staff understood what was expected of them and were supported by the registered manager and senior staff to provide good care to people. Checks were made on the quality of the care by registered manager and provider. Actions were taken to further improve people’s experience of living at the home.

We carried out an inspection to help us answer five questions;

Is the service caring?

Is the service responsive?

Is the service safe?

Is the service effective?

Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found.The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, discussions with all of the people using the service ,two care staff supporting them and looking at everyone's care records. If you wish to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

People who used the service told us that they felt safe. One person told us, "I feel safe here". Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff understood their role in safeguarding the people they supported. Staff were aware of the provider's whistleblowing policy.

The provider ensured that people's rights, dignity and choice were protected by involving them in the planning of their care.

Staff knew about risk management plans and we saw that they supported people in line with those plans. Medicines that people needed were ordered, stored and administered in a safe way.

The manager ensured that staff rotas were planned in advance to maintain the staffing numbers required to provide care in a safe way.

Systems were in place to make sure that the manager and staff learned from events such as accidents and incidents, complaints and checks made on the service. This reduced the risk to people and helped the service to continually improve.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. While no applications have need to be submitted, proper policies and procedures were in place. Relevant staff have been trained to understand when an application should be made and how to submit one.

Is the service effective?

People’s care needs were assessed with them. All of the people we spoke with told us they were involved in their care planning and reviews of care. We saw that care plans were regularly updated.

Where people had complex needs that required the input of specialist health care services, assessments had been made by the appropriate professionals. Their recommendations were carried out by the staff. This meant the provider worked well with other services to ensure people's health care needs were met.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by care staff that were kind and caring. We saw that care staff gave people encouragement and respected their privacy and dignity. One person told us, "The staff really care about us".

People’s preferences, interests and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support was provided in accordance with people’s wishes.

Is the service responsive?

People had the opportunity to plan and engage in a range of different activities each day. People told us about opportunities they had to try new activities and write their own reports about what they had enjoyed and what they would like to try next.

People were aware of the provider's complaints procedure and knew how to raise concerns. One person told us, “They are responsive to requests you make”.

Where care staff had noticed people's changing needs, their care plans were updated to reflect this. This was because staff discussed people's care needs with them on a regular basis. People told us staff would always do their best to make sure they were happy.

Is the service well led?

The service had quality assurance and risk management systems in place. The provider sought the views of people who used the service. Records seen by us indicated that shortfalls in the service were addressed promptly.

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities and understood the quality assurance and risk management systems. This helped to ensure that people received a good quality of care. Staff told us the home was well organised and they felt supported by their manager.

We inspected the service and spoke with three people who lived there, two staff, the registered manager and the director of care. We found people were able to express their views and had been involved in making decisions about their care and treatment.

People were complimentary about the care and support they received. One person told us: “It’s a lovely home and the staff do look after me”. Another person said: “The staff are lovely and they let me tidy up and help”.

We looked at the care records for two people and other supporting documents for the service. Consent had been obtained from people before care and treatment had been provided. Staff told us they: “Explain what I am doing and make sure they understand me”. “We have got to know people very well here so we know if they are not happy with anything”.

People’s needs had been assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. Staff told us they were aware of each person’s needs and how to provide care and support to meet those needs.

We saw that staff were kind and caring in their approach to people who lived in the home. There were sufficient numbers of staff provided to ensure people received the support they needed.

Staff told us they were supported and we saw they were trained to an appropriate standard. We saw that staff had participated in regular supervisions and team meetings.

We saw that people who used the service were supported to improve their social skills and to sustain community involvement. We saw that care staff and the people they supported had a good relationship with each other. We spoke with two of the five people who used the service. One of the people we spoke was able to communicate with us that they felt supported by care staff and that they had a good relationship with the other people who used the service.

Care staff we spoke with showed that they knew people's current needs and we found that people's needs were regularly assessed and updated to make sure that their current needs were met.

We saw that the provider made sure that people's independence was maintained and promoted. Care staff supported people's choice and knew people's daily routines and preferences.

People were protected from the risk of potential abuse through individual care planning, raising staff awareness through induction and ongoing assessment and having relevant policies and procedures in place.

The provider made sure that suitable staff were recruited and that new starters were provided with a comprehensive and appropriate induction.

We found that the provider sought the views of people who used and interacted with the service with the aim of improving care quality.

We carried out this review to check on the care and welfare of people using this service.

When we visited the home we met people who lived there, staff on duty and the Director of Care for the Company. We pathway tracked the care of two people and looked at how their care was provided and managed.

We saw that staff at Sunnycroft looked after people well and wrote down what help everyone needed. Staff said they were trained to help them understand how to meet people’s needs and give the support they needed.

We saw that staff interacted with people who use the service in a friendly, courteous and respectful manner. Staff demonstrated they were aware of people’s care and support needs.

We saw that people were very relaxed and at ease with staff and within their home environment. The atmosphere was calm and homely and the home was clean, tidy and well cared for.

Staff told us they worked well as a team and that they received regular management support.

We found that people who lived at Sunnycroft received effective, safe and appropriate care, treatment and support that met their needs.