Suillean House

Updated 30 December 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 7 December 2020 and was announced on the day of inspection.

Updated 30 December 2020

Suillean 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 both were looked at during this inspection. The service is registered to provide accommodation and care for nine people who have a learning disability. At the time of the inspection there were nine people living in the service. Some of the people living in the service had special communication needs and used a combination of words, signs and gestures to express themselves.

This inspection took place on the 23 May 2018, was announced and completed by one inspector.

We had previously inspected this home and it was rated ‘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 on- going 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.

At our previous inspection the rating related to Caring was ‘Outstanding.’ However, this was in February 2016 and following changes in standards of care and regulation, this section is now rated as ‘Good.’ This does not indicate a change in the quality of care and support provided by the service, but purely reflects changes across the care sector.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the polices and systems in the service support this practice.

Our observations at this inspection showed that staff were caring and supportive to people. Staff talked with people living at he service and shared jokes with them which were enjoyed.

People were safe living at Suillean House and staff knew how to provide support in a safe way. All areas of the home were clean, tidy and fresh. Effective systems and checks were in place to make certain the premises were safe. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Medicines were safely managed and given to people as prescribed.

People’s needs were assessed prior to them moving into the service to ensure that staff were able to fully meet their needs. The staff were skilled, knowledgeable and experienced and had the necessary training to support them in their roles.

People chose their meals and then decided where they wanted to eat that meal. Staff encouraged healthy choices for a balanced diet but people chose and ate the foods they enjoyed. People had regular access to healthcare professionals when needed, full records of such visits were recorded.

People were encouraged to make decisions about their care, daily routines and preferences. Staff worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and there was documentation to support this.

Staff encouraged people to follow their interests and regular outings and visits were discussed with people living at the service. Family contact and visits were also supported and planned. The culture of the home was caring, person centred and inclusive.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. People living at the service and their relatives had the opportunity to comment on the quality of the support and care that was provided. Any required improvements were undertaken in response to such suggestions.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.