Sylvan Road is a 4 bed service providing support and accommodation to people with mental health difficulties. It is a large ‘ordinary’ house in a residential area close to public transport and other services.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People continued to receive safe care. Risks were identified and action taken to minimise risk and to support them as safely as possible. Systems were in place to ensure medicines were administered safely and when needed. There were enough staff on duty to support people.

People were supported by experienced staff who received training and support to enable them to continue to provide an effective service. The staff team worked closely with other professionals to ensure that people remained as healthy as possible and received the healthcare they needed.

People enjoyed their meals and were supported to have a nutritious diet that met their needs and preferences.

People continued to be supported by kind, caring staff who treated them with respect. Their privacy and dignity were maintained.

People continued to receive individualised care and support that was responsive to their needs. They were encouraged to make choices about their daily lives and to continue to do things they enjoyed.

Management systems ensured the service continued to be well led and that people were involved in decisions about their care and about what happened in the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This unannounced inspection took place 20 November 2014. This is a summary of what we found.

Sylvan Road is a 4 bed service providing support and accommodation to people with mental health difficulties. It is a large ‘ordinary’ house in a residential area close to public transport and other services. The house does not have any special adaptations. A ground floor bathroom and shower are available which can meet the needs of a person with limited mobility. People lived in a clean, safe environment that was suitable for their needs.

The service 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe at Sylvan Road and that they were supported by kind, caring staff who treated them with respect. One person told us that they felt safe because there was always a member of staff there that they trusted.

The staff team worked closely with other professionals to ensure that people were supported to receive the healthcare that they needed.

Staff had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards is where a person can be deprived of their liberties where it is deemed to be in their best interests or for their own safety. Staff were aware that on occasions this was necessary. There were not any DoLS in place when we visited. People were able to make choices about their care and support and to ‘come and go’ when they wished.

People chose what they wanted to eat and told us that they enjoyed the food. They also said that they could have drinks and snacks whenever they wanted. One person told us, “The food is lovely here and I can make tea and coffee 24hours a day.”

Staff received the support and training they needed to provide a safe and appropriate service that met people’s needs.

People knew how to raise concerns and felt that any concerns they made would be listened to and acted upon.

The manager and the provider monitored the service closely to ensure that people received a service that met their needs and wishes safely.

People’s care, health and welfare needs were being met and systems were in place to ensure that they received their prescribed medication appropriately. A healthcare professional told us “he is looked after well.”

We found that people were treated with respect and that they were asked for their consent before any care was provided. People told us that they were happy at Sylvan Road. One person said “it’s very nice here and they treat me very well.”

We also found that staff received the training and support that they needed to carry out their duties and to support people who used the service. One member of staff told us “we definitely get the right training.” People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care because accurate and appropriate records were maintained.

The views of people who use the service and their carers were considered in the planning and delivery of care. We found that people were provided with a safe service and that steps were taken to protect people. There was sufficient staff to meet the needs of people who use the service. The management had arrangements in place to monitor the quality of care delivered.

One person who used the service told us that they liked living at Sylvan Road. They said they liked the food and we saw that staff treated the person with dignity and respect. People are encouraged to take an active part in the running of the home. There was good links with health services and the local community mental health services. Relatives were able to visit at any time.

We talked to all four users of this service during the visit. Two people were happy to show us their rooms and to talk to us about the care and support that they get but the other two did not wish to do this.

One person said that staff helped him and talked things over with him. Also that they talked about his care plan and what he wanted to do. Another said that they were happy there, that staff were nice and that that staff let them choose what to do. They told us that they go to meetings and talk about “things”. We saw minutes of service user’s weekly meetings and these showed that they are asked about and discuss things that affect them.

People who use the service can all say if they are not happy about anything. They said that they could talk to the staff. This was shown by the fact that one person felt safe to tell a member of staff that he did not like us being there and wanted to know when we were going.

The health care coordinator told us that staff knew people and their history. He also said that everything seemed to be okay in the service and he did not have any concerns.

We saw that staff spent time with the people who use the service. This was to offer advice and support when needed and also talking to them about what they wanted to do. We saw that staff treated people who use the service with respect.