Sydney House

Updated 29 March 2019

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 planned this inspection to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

One inspector and an expert by experience carried out the inspection. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert by experience had experience of caring for a family member.

Service and service type

Sydney House 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 we looked at both during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We carried out the inspection visit on 13 January 2019. It was unannounced.

What we did

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the PIR as part of the planning process for this inspection, as well as other information we held about the service, including previous reports and statutory notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by the provider. Notifications are information on important events that happen in the home that the provider must let us know about.

During our inspection we saw how the staff interacted with people who lived at Sydney House. We spoke with four people who lived there and three people’s relatives/friends. We spoke with the registered manager, a team leader, two care staff and the cook.

We looked at three people’s care records as well as other records relating to the management of the home.

Updated 29 March 2019

About the service

Sydney House is a care home that offers care and support to up 45 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. There were 38 people using the service at the time of our visit.

At our last inspection on 26 April 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

People’s experience of using this service

• People were very happy living at Sydney House. They felt safe and liked the staff who supported them. Relatives were very satisfied with the service and they felt welcomed when they visited and said that staff contacted them when there were any changes. Staff were proud to be working at the home and enjoyed their job. Everyone said they would recommend the home.

• The provider had systems in place to keep people safe from avoidable harm. Staff supported people to raise any concerns they may have. Risk was assessed and managed while also respecting people’s human rights and freedom.

• Staff gave people their prescribed medicines safely. They followed good practice infection control guidelines to help prevent the spread of infection. Equipment was available so that staff could support people in a safe way and staff knew how to operate it in a safe way.

• The provider employed enough staff so that they could meet people’s needs in a timely way. Staff went through a thorough recruitment process so that the provider only employed suitable staff with the right skills and character.

• People had a choice of food and drinks which they enjoyed. Staff supported people to access healthcare professionals when they needed them and quickly recognised any changes to people’s health and wellbeing.

• Staff undertook training in a wide range of topics so they had the knowledge and skills to do their job well and effectively meet people’s needs.

• Staff were kind and compassionate. They knew each person well, including their likes and dislikes and their preferences about how they wanted staff to care for them. They ensured that people were as involved as they could be in making decisions about their care and support. People’s privacy, dignity and independence was protected and promoted.

• People could follow their interests and hobbies and maintain relationships with people who were important to them.

• Complaints were taken seriously and the staff team listened to people and took action to resolve complaints. Complaints were used as an opportunity to learn and improve.

• Everyone praised the registered manager who was approachable, helpful and provided strong leadership. The staff team enjoyed working together and supported each other and the registered manager.

• Staff knew they were responsible for giving people a high-quality service based on the provider’s ethos and values. Staff did everything to make people’s lives as comfortable and fulfilling as possible. The quality of the service provided was carefully monitored to check that people were safe and happy.

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

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection we rated this service Good (report published on 3 June 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.