31 March 2016
During a routine inspection
Sycamore Court is a residential care service providing personal care and support for up to 12 younger and older adults living with a learning difficulty and/or an autistic spectrum disorder. The premises are on two floors, all bedrooms are single, and there are three lounge/dining areas, two kitchens and a variety of bath and shower rooms.
At the time of our inspection there were nine people using the service.
The service has a registered manager. This 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 told us they were happy at Sycamore Court and considered it to be their home. They also said they liked the staff and felt safe with them. The accommodation was homely and bedrooms were personalised. Staff and the people using the service got on well together. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and people appeared relaxed and comfortable.
When we asked people what they liked best about Sycamore House they told us ‘the staff’. People helped to choose the staff who supported them. The staff we met were well-trained and knowledgeable about the people they supported. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs, accompany them out into the wider community, and spend both one-to-one and group time with them.
People told us they enjoyed the meals served. They said what their favourite foods were and we saw these were on the menu. Staff encouraged people to eat healthily and to try a wide range of food but also understood that people had a right to choose what they ate.
Staff told us they got to know the people using the service by being introduced to them and spending time with them, talking with their relatives and friends, and reading their care plans. They supported people to take part in a range of one-to-one and group activities including pub visits, discos, shopping, cinema, arts and crafts, trips to the park, and cookery.
Staff ensured that all the people using the service were involved in its running. Some people were able to give their views verbally, but for those who couldn’t staff used their communication skills, including signing, to include them. At a house meeting we attended staff ensured all the people using the service were involved and understood what the meeting was about.
The registered manager oversaw all aspects of the service. She got on well with the people who lived at Sycamore Court who happily approached her whenever they wanted to. Staff told us they had confidence in the registered manager and said she provided them with good leadership.
The provider had a system in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. This included regular surveys which gave the people using the service, relatives, and other stakeholders the opportunity to comment on how well it was it running. We saw that ongoing improvements had been made as a result of this system.