Sutton Court

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We assessed 5 quality statements within the caring key question. People were at the centre of their care and support. We saw staff respected people and their own private space. We observed staff knock on bedroom doors and ask if they could enter, waited for a response, and then enter following an invitation. They then spoke with the person and explained what they wanted to discuss or do. Support plans included how people communicated and how they expressed their feelings.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People told us they were treated with kindness and compassion. People said managers and staff know and understand them, including their preferences, wishes, personal histories, backgrounds and potential. Comments from people included, “They are alright, they help me.” And “[Name of staff member], knows what I like to do and when I like to go out.” A relative said, “[Name of person] is very lucky to be there, they are lovely, I am really impressed.” Managers and staff spoke about people in a positive and respectful way. This was reflected in the language used to record information and, in the guidance, contained in people’s support plans. The registered manager explained a lot of work had been done following the last inspection to help staff to understand how the use of how respectful language both written and verbal changes the perception of the individual in the minds of others.

People were treated as individuals. People told us they were able to meet up with friends and family. They said their staff supported them to develop their interests and hobbies. We observed people and staff working together on craft projects with concentration and humour for both parties. One person explained their keen interest in going to the allotment and described how that was made possible for them. The home manager described one person’s passion for all things Halloween and how they were supported to plan and prepare in ways which supported the person to maintain control over the anxiety the forthcoming event caused them. Support plans recorded people’s strengths, goals and aspirations. The registered manager and staff were working with people to develop this further and continued to identify opportunities with people.

People were supported by staff who knew them well, offered choices and supported them in their independence. People were not rushed and had use of preferred communication tools so they could make choices and be understood. Staff demonstrated a kind and caring approach. People were happy and comfortable in staff’s presence and would engage proactively. People were informed about the day’s plans. One person told us, “I am going shopping in a bit with [Name of a staff member].” Staff benefitted from clear information about the tasks people could manage independently, and where they needed support. The registered manager explained how they and the staff were continuing to develop people’s communication tools and staff skills. One staff member said, “We have had a lot of training to learn to use sign language.” Staff spoke positively about supporting people with activities they liked and encouraging them to develop. Staff stated that the service had access to its own transport vehicle which was used to facilitate people’s activities. Staff also stated that some people like to have long walks so some activities were accessed by foot, or people were supported to use public transport safely. Support plans included detailed information about people’s needs and what they could do without support. This level of detail helped ensure staff provided consistent care and people were supported to be as independent as possible. There was a positive approach to the planning of activities relevant to people at the service, and an emphasis on maintaining an active approach. Observations of staff showed activities were supported and encouraged. We observed a person being supported to go shopping and another person heading off to a local café. Throughout the visit we observed staff talking with people with genuine interest in what they had to say, and the person’s choice was at the forefront of everything.

People’s needs, views, wishes and comfort were recognised. Managers and staff knew people well and could respond quickly to avoid any preventable discomfort, concern or distress. Support plans had clear direction to guide staff about people’s health needs and communication needs. There were some documents created in an easy-to-read format by the scheme to support people to have as much understandable information as possible, covering topics including health conditions. We spoke to one person who was able to explain their own health condition and how staff supported them to manage it. A health professional told us, “[Name of person] arrived with lots of health issues that required support and [name of home manager] sorted these out very quickly liaising with the GP.

People received safe, effective and person-centred care as the provider recognised and met the wellbeing needs of the staff and managers. People benefited from staff who had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or carers experiences. We saw evidence staff received one to one supervision and had a variety of opportunities to talk and raise ideas or concerns. There were formal pathways to manage concerns and complaints as well as formally monitor practice. People were supported by staff who told us they felt valued by their leaders and colleagues. Comments from staff included, “[Name of provider] has helped me a lot, settling in. really good training.” And “[name of home manager] is very good and everyone helps each other out, there is always someone I can go to.”