About the service: Sunnymeade Quality Care is a residential care home that was providing personal care to 31 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

People’s experience of using this service:

• People told us they felt safe and happy living at Sunnymeade Quality Care.

• People told us staff met their needs and staff confirmed they received sufficient training.

• Staff knew people well and had an in depth understanding of people’s individual preferences and how to meet them.

• Staff ensured people’s healthcare needs were met and external advice was sought promptly where required.

• People were treated with respect and staff protected their privacy and dignity.

• Staff ensured people could spend their day where they wanted and supported them to spend their time in a way that reflected their interests.

• People could influence what, where and when they ate, and staff provided support where necessary.

• Regular checks were completed of medicines, records and the standard of care provided. Information collected was then used to ensure any required improvements were made.

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

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 12 October 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on previous rating.

This unannounced comprehensive inspection took place on 22 September 2016. This was the first inspection the service had been inspected under the current registration.

Sunnymeade Quality Care is a care home which offers care and support for up to 40 predominantly older people. At the time of the inspection there were 36 people living at the service. Some of these people were living with dementia. The accommodation is spread across two floors and one area is specifically arranged to cater for those people with higher support needs. There are several lounge areas where people can choose to spend their time. There was a pleasant garden adjacent to the building.

The service had two full time registered managers in post with clearly defined areas of responsibility. 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.

There were enough staff to help ensure people’s health and social needs were met. Staff were effectively deployed across the service and people’s needs were met in a timely manner. Staff were friendly and compassionate in their approach to people. People commented; “They look after me very well” and “Staff are good.”

Risk assessments were in place with information to guide staff on how to protect people from any identified risk. We observed staff supporting people in line with guidance. The assessments were reviewed and updated regularly to help ensure they reflected people’s changing needs.

People told us they received their medicines as prescribed and systems for the safe storage of medicines were robust. We found the system for recording when medicines which were to be taken as required had been administered were not robust. We have made a recommendation about the management of these medicines in the report.

Staff received a thorough induction when they started working at the service. Training was regularly refreshed and staff told us it was effective. Recruitment processes were satisfactory; for example pre-employment checks had been completed to help ensure staff were suitable to work in the care sector.

Staff supported people to be involved in and make decisions about their daily lives. People chose where they spent their time, when they got up and when they went to bed. Where people did not have the capacity to make certain decisions the service acted in accordance with legal requirements under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff had a good understanding of the potential signs of abuse and how to report it. All were confident that any allegations would be fully investigated and action would be taken to make sure people were safe.

Care plans were well organised and contained information covering all aspects of people’s health and social care needs. Care planning was reviewed regularly and people’s changing needs recorded. Where appropriate, relatives were included in the reviews.

One member of staff had responsibility for overseeing the programme of activities provided for people. Activities took place both within the service and outside. As well as trips out for special occasions or events, people were supported to access the local community regularly to visit cafes and go on local walks.

The registered managers were well supported by the provider. They attended local forums to keep up to date with any developments in the care sector. They were supported in the day to day running of the service by senior team leaders. There were plans to introduce a key worker system to give members of staff responsibility for the oversight of individuals care plans.

People and their relatives were asked for their views on the service provid