Buttermere House Also known as Sycamore Nursing Home

Updated 14 April 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Buttermere House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Buttermere House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 16 March 2023 and ended on 17 March 2023. We visited the service on 16 March 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed interactions between staff and people. We spoke with 2 people living at the service. We spoke with 6 members of staff including the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. The registered manager, the deputy manager, and support workers. We looked at 4 care plans and reviewed other documentation used in the running of the service, including quality assurance and training records. We spoke with 2 relatives over the telephone about their experience of the care provided.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 14 April 2023

About the service

Buttermere House is a care home providing accommodation and care to people, who have a wide range of complex learning disabilities, such as autism and related autistic spectrum conditions. The service is registered to provide accommodation for up to 10 people and at the time of our inspection, there were 6 people living there.

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

People who used the service told us they felt safe being supported by staff and staff had the skills and experience to support them appropriately. People’s risks in relation to their care were managed and they were able to live independent lives. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs.

We were assured the service were following infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe.

People who used the service told us staff were kind, caring and respectful towards them. People's care plans and the support from the registered manager provided staff with the information required to support people effectively. People and their families were involved in the planning of their care and their wishes were respected.

Management had undertaken regular audits to look at lessons that could be learnt and made appropriate improvements to the service.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.

Right Support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence.

People were supported by staff to work towards their individual goals and objectives. Staff encouraged and supported people to live as independently as possible and to have control over their lives. People were encouraged to express their views using a variety of communication methods and staff actively sought feedback which was discussed with individuals. People were encouraged and supported by staff to have control in their daily lives.

Right Care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights.

People who used the service told us they felt supported by staff in a kind and caring way. Staff knew people well and ensured they were supported with their social and care needs in a person-centred way.

Right Culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

The culture of the service was open, inclusive and empowered individuals to express their views on how the service was run. People told us they felt confident and were supported to manage potential risks, for example when they accessed the community and grounds around the service. People who used the service and their relatives were complimentary of staff and the leadership of the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 17 December 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when the service first registered with us and to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.