Sunnydale is a nine-bedroom house that supports adults aged 18-65 with a learning disability. All rooms are single occupancy and they are situated on the ground and first floor. The service has a main dining room, an activity room and lounges. One lounge area also has a pool table for people to use. There are small grounds which are suitable for leisure activities. The home is situated on a main road in Featherstone and is close to the local shops and supermarkets. The house was full at the time of inspection.

At our last inspection we 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.

The home has 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.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received care which was extremely person centred and responsive to their needs. They were supported and fully engaged in activities that were meaningful to them.

People’s needs had been identified, and from talking to people who used the service, we found people’s needs were met by staff who knew them well. Care records we saw were very detailed and clearly explained people’s needs.

Staff continuously looked for ways to improve care, so people had positive experiences and led fulfilling and meaningful lives. They liaised with professionals to make sure that people's health care needs were met.

Social interaction and community acceptance was important and opportunities to access and integrate into the local community was a priority.

There was a robust recruitment system and all staff had completed an induction and training as required by the registered provider. Staff had received formal supervision and had an up to date annual appraisal of their work performance.

There were systems in place for monitoring quality, which were effective. Where improvements were needed, these were addressed and followed up to ensure continuous improvement.

People told us they felt safe and they had access to procedures which enabled them to raise any concerns or complaints. Medication procedures were safe and staff had received appropriate training in this area.

Staff and people who used the service who we spoke with told us the registered manager was approachable, there was an open-door policy and the service was well led.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

The inspection took place on 15 January 2016 and was unannounced. The service was last inspected in October 2013 and was found to be fully compliant at that time.

Sunnydale provides accommodation and care for up to nine people, who have a learning disability, autism or a mental health condition; some of which have complex needs. At the time of our inspection the service was full with nine people currently using the service. The home offers accommodation across two floors and is situated in heart of the village of Featherstone, with good access to local shops and services. The service did not have a registered manager at the time of our inspection, however there was a manager (from another service in the registered providers group of services) who had been overseeing the service and there was a newly appointed manager in post, who told us they would be applying to register with the Care Quality Commission when they had completed their induction and probationary period.

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 who used the service told us they felt extremely safe and well cared for. We saw the standard of care was exceptional throughout the service. There were always plenty of staff on duty to meet the needs of the people who used the service safely. The ratios of staff also meant that staff could introduce spontaneous activities which enriched the lives of all the people who used the service. We found staff were passionate in the way in which they spoke about their roles and the achievements and progress of the people they supported.

We found the staff’s understanding of each person they supported was in depth to such a degree that people who used the service described the staff and other people they lived with as their family. The level of knowledge, empathy and thoughtfulness which went into the person centred care planning and delivery meant that people were kept safe and were nurtured. We saw throughout the care plans and by speaking with staff that innovative approaches were used to support people to achieve goals which had previously been thought to be unachievable. People had made progress with the support of staff which had surpassed their own expectations and those of their families and friends.

Staff used their extensive knowledge of people who used the service as the basis for their care planning, reviews of their care plans and risk assessments. Care plans and risk assessments were continually evolving as people who used the service gained new skills and abilities and gained higher levels of independence as a result. Staff also used this personal knowledge to explore how they could introduce new experiences and hobbies which they thought would be interesting to people, based on their personality and observations of similar experiences which they had enjoyed and benefited from.

We found there were very rarely any incidents of behaviour which was challenging to others in the home, despite the complex needs and historical patterns of behaviour of some of the people who used the service. This was achieved by staff understanding the history of each person, the behaviour which would be usual for them, what may ‘trigger’ an episode of challenge and working cohesively as a team to consistently remove these triggers to create the safest possible environment.

People who used the service were actively encouraged to be involved in the planning of their daily lives, they were free to choose how their time was spent, and when outings were planned, where they went and wherever possible who they wanted to share their chosen experience with in terms of which member of staff supported them. People in the service were aware of t

We spoke with four of the people who used the service, some of whom used their own form of sign language to communicate. They all told us that they felt happy living at the home, one person told us that they “liked the staff” and another told us that they “enjoyed helping out in the home”.

We spoke with three members of staff. They all told us that the people who used the service were treated with dignity and respect. One staff member told us that “the staff team here are very good”, another staff member told us they felt supported and received regular feedback on their performance.

We looked at three care plans. We saw that they were comprehensive and addresses the needs of each individual. The care plans included risk assessments that were developed to reduce the risk of harm to the people who used the service.

We saw that staff had undergone safeguarding training. One of the people we spoke with told us “I feel safe living here”

We spoke with three people who use the service. They told us that they understand the care and support they need and were able to explain this to us. All three people know they have a care plan and discussed the content of this with us. They were all aware they have a personal worker and who this person is.

Some of the comments people made about their care included “I meet up with my personal worker regularly and we talk about my care plan,” and “I always know what is happening and staff are good at keeping me involved and informed.” People told us they are encouraged to make their own decisions about their daily lifestyles and are encouraged to be as independent as possible.

People spoken with were very complimentary about the care provided. One person said, “We have an active life. Staff are very good, they encourage us to do our own thing.” Another person commented “I really like being here.”

All the people spoken with said they felt safe living at the home and would report any concerns to the manager if they did have any issues.

People said they are encouraged to be involved in decisions about the home. One person told us they attend the organisation’s meeting group along with people who use other Millennium Care Services and senior representatives from the organisation.