The inspection took place on 23 May 2017 and was unannounced. The last comprehensive inspection took place in November 2014, when the provider was meeting the regulations.

Sunnyside Nursing Home provides accommodation for up to 36 people who require nursing or personal care. The home is situated in the Crossgates area of Leeds and is close to local shops and community facilities.

At the time of our inspection 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.

Staff we spoke with confirmed that they had received training in safeguarding adults from the risk of abuse. Staff were able to explain the types of abuse and what action they would take if they suspected abuse.

We looked at staff recruitment files and found the provider had a safe and effective system in place for employing new staff. We saw sufficient staff were employed to ensure people’s needs were maintained.

We saw that medicines were managed in a safe way. Medicines were stored, administered and records were maintained which confirmed that people received their medicines as prescribed.

Risks associated with people’s care and treatment were identified and plans were in place to minimise the risks occurring.

We spoke with staff who said they received appropriate training which gave them the skills and confidence to carry out their responsibilities. Training included moving and handling, first aid, health and safety, fire prevention, safeguarding, and food hygiene.

Through our observations and from talking with staff and the registered manager we found the service to be meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff confirmed they had received training in this subject.

People received a healthy and balanced diet which met their needs and took in to consideration their preferences. We saw that snacks and drinks were offered throughout the day.

We looked at peoples care plans and found that relevant healthcare professionals were involved in their care when required.

We observed staff interacting with people and we found they were kind, caring and compassionate. Staff ensured that people’s dignity was respected.

Care plans we looked at were indicative of people’s assessed needs. Staff knew people well and ensured they met people’s needs in a timely manner.

The service employed an activity co-ordinator who was available in this role thirty hours a week. This person organised events and social stimulation for people, based on their individual preferences.

The provider had a complaints procedure and people felt able to raise concerns if they needed to. The registered manager kept a log of concerns received and addressed them effectively and in line with the provider’s policy.

People we spoke with told us the registered manager was supportive and they felt able to approach the registered manager and felt she listened to them and acted on what they told her.

We saw regular audits took place to check the quality of service provision. Action plans were devised to follow up any issues.

People were involved in the service and their views were sought. We saw evidence that people were involved in quality surveys and residents and relatives meetings and were able to comment about the service.

We inspected Sunnyside Nursing Home on the 11 November 2014 and the visit was unannounced. Our last inspection took place in November 2013 and at that time we found the home was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Sunnyside Nursing Home provides accommodation for a maximum of 36 people who require personal care or nursing care. Local shops and community facilities are a short walk away in the Cross Gate area of Leeds.

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.’

On the day of our visits we saw people looked well cared for. We saw staff speaking in a caring and respectful manner to people who lived in the home. Staff demonstrated that they knew people’s individual characters, likes and dislikes.

People’s care plans and risk assessments were person centred and the staff we spoke with were able to tell us how individuals preferred their care and support to be delivered. Care plans and risk assessments were reviewed on a regular basis to make sure they provided accurate and up to date information and were fit for purpose.

People told us there were enough staff to give them the support they needed and this was confirmed in our observations. Staff told us they had received induction and training, the records we looked at reflected this. There were induction records for staff and training records showed clearly the training staff had received. This meant people could be confident staff had the skills to meet their needs.

The organisations staff recruitment and selection procedures were robust which helped to ensure people were cared for by staff suitable to work in the caring profession. In addition all the staff we spoke with were aware of signs and symptoms which may indicate people were possibly being abused and the action they needed to take.

The staff had access to a range of training courses relevant to their roles and responsibilities and were supported to carry out their roles effectively though a planned programme of training and supervision.

Staff received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and they were able to demonstrate a good understanding of when Best Interest Decisions need to be made to safeguard people.

People told us care was effective and they received appropriate healthcare support. We saw people were referred to relevant healthcare professionals in a timely manner.

People told us they had a good choice of food and they were encouraged to participate in a range of appropriate social and leisure activities.

There was an effective quality assurance monitoring system in place which quickly identified any shortfalls in the service and there were systems in place for staff to learn from any accident, incidents or complaints received.

People we spoke with were very positive about the quality of the care they received. Comments included “Carers are lovely,” “Staff are very good” and “I like living here.”

People told us they were happy with the service provided by the home. They felt they were given enough information about their care options and were able to ask all the questions they wanted to. They found the staff to be friendly and reported that they were treated with respect and their privacy was maintained.

Staff told us people received good care and treatment, and their needs were appropriately met. They said people who used the service received support which was planned to make sure it met their individual needs.

People told us they knew who to contact and the staff were well trained and knowledgeable about their care needs. People told us they would be listened to and action would be taken if they had a concern.

We looked at a number of records and audits which confirmed regular checks were being carried out to ensure the service was safe and effective.

People who used the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. We spoke with seven relatives and comments included “Wonderful care they give our mum” and “The support has been fantastic and reassuring.”

People were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

We found that the home was clean and in good decorative order. People were appropriately dressed and looked well cared for. On the day we visited we saw some people were sat in one of the lounges watching television. Others were talking to members of staff. The staff were caring and respectful.

People who used the service told us that they were very satisfied with the care they received. One said “I am very happy here, the staff are great.” We spoke with two relatives of people who used the service. One said “Its terrific, the staff are very good.”

The home had procedures to obtain people’s consent to care and treatment and acted in accordance with their wishes. One of the people we spoke with said “The staff always ask me before trying to help me do anything.” They also told us that they could “Get up and go to bed whenever I liked.”

The provider had effective procedures for the recruitment and induction of new staff. The staff knew and understood the needs and personal preferences of the people who used the service. One of the members of staff we spoke with told us “I love working here, I feel I am caring for people.”

The provider had appropriate procedures to deal with complaints. People who used the service and their relatives knew what to do if they had any concerns and how to make a complaint. The provider took account of their comments and suggestions and considered how they service could be improved.

People who use the service said they were treated well. One person said, “I want to please myself and I can.” Another person said, “They have to help me a lot but do it in a jokey manner which is right for my sense of humour.”

People who use the service told us they were satisfied with the care they received. One person said, “It’s very friendly, Staff are good and they don’t rush you.” Another person said, “I’m well looked after, they couldn’t do more for me. I’ve no complaints.”

One person who required equipment and staff support to transfer from chair to chair said staff were very good at moving and handling which made them feel safe.

Some people said there was enough to do during the day, others thought people would benefit from more stimulation.

Visitors said people were generally well cared for. One visitor said, “It’s a very good home, the girls are brilliant. Mum spends most of her time in her room but she says they keep checking she’s alright. ” Another visitor said, “It’s lovely and clean. I have no concerns at all and don’t worries about dad anymore because he’s well looked after.” Visitors said staff contacted them when it was appropriate and they felt they could approach staff and management when they wanted to discuss anything. One visitor thought somethings were not always actioned promptly.

Staff said people received good care, were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was upheld. One member of staff said, “The manager is focused on making sure people are treated well. She spends a lot of time talking to people and checking that we do things right”.

In the main, people told us there were generally enough staff to meet people’s needs although some people thought sometimes staff were too busy to spend quality time with people. One person who uses the service said, “You get help when you need it.” Another person who uses the service said they sometimes had to wait for staff to come when they pressed their buzzer, but staff were always apologetic and it didn’t happen very often.

The registered manager said they had kept staffing levels under review as the home had recently expanded and she was satisfied there were sufficient staff, although at times they did get very busy. The registered manager said she regularly communicated with people who use the service, staff and the care provider about staffing and would continue to monitor the levels closely.

Staff and visitors said the service was well managed. People were complimentary about the manager and said she made herself available and spent time working directly with people who use the service and alongside staff, so understood what happened at the home.