This comprehensive inspection took place on 11 September and was unannounced. Sunnyfield is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service can accommodate up to ten people. There is the main house which accommodates six people, an annexe accommodating three people and a separate bungalow for one person. Each area has its own communal areas and kitchen.

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 wa

The inspection took place on 12 November 2015 and was unannounced.

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 home was split into three sections. The main house accommodated six people, the annex which accommodated three people and a purpose built bungalow for one person. The annex supported people who have been assessed as being more independent although all the residents have daily one to one support. There was access to a garden at the back of the house. The people who live in the home were encouraged to look after the garden.

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.

During our inspection we spoke with seven people who lived at the home. We discussed their views on living at Sunnyfield. All people told us they were very happy living there. One person said they enjoyed being able to go out in the local area. Another person said they got on well with everyone and “the best thing is the staff”.

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.

We spoke with two 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. Both people know they have a care plan and discussed the content of this with us. One person said, “I see my care plan every day.” We were told they are encouraged to make their own decisions about their daily lifestyles and said, “We have a lot of freedom and can do what we want”. One person told us about the progress they had made since moving into Sunnyfield. When asked about the possible reasons for this, the person said, “It is the first place where I have lived and felt that people trust me.”

People spoken with were very complimentary about the care provided. One person said, “Staff are great and very helpful.” Another person commented “I really like the staff and being here.”

The people spoken with said they have never had any concerns during their time at the home. Both said they would go straight to the manager if they did have any issues.

One person told us “The staff are very good and know what they are doing.” Another person said, “I never thought I would have come so far in such a short space of time and have to thank the staff for their part in that.”

People said they are encouraged to be involved in decisions about the home. One person acts as a representative for other people who use the service and said they attend meetings with the senior management team from Millenium Care to discuss how services can be improved. Another person commented “I am involved in recruiting new staff.”