Sandsground

Updated 12 March 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Sandsground 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the assistant regional director, registered manager, assistant care manager and the cook.

We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records and their medicine records. We also briefly viewed sections of a second person’s care records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two relatives on the telephone to gain their views on the service and one social care professional emailed us with their comments about Sandsground.

Updated 12 March 2020

About the service

Sandsground is a residential care home providing personal care to five people with a learning and physical disabilities. The care home accommodates five people in one ground floor building.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Not all the people living in Sandsground were able to directly tell us their experiences of living in the service. One person said they were happy living in the home. Interactions we observed showed people were relaxed with staff, expressed themselves freely and were supported in a kind and caring way.

Feedback from relatives and a social care professional was positive. Staff understood people’s needs and the registered manager was keen to develop and support a stable staff team so that people received consistent support on a long- term basis. Staff vacancies were being filled and there were recruitment checks in place so that new staff were suitable to support the people in the service.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were encouraged to make daily choices, which included how they spent their time and the meals they ate.

People took part in a range of activities both inside the home and in the community. People, where possible, or their relatives, knew how to make a complaint and we saw these were dealt with effectively.

Medicines were managed safely. People were supported in line with their care plans which meant risks to people were effectively managed.

Regular auditing took place to inform where improvements may be required. Staff confirmed they received support and training to carry out their roles effectively.

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

Rating at last inspection The last rating for this service was good (report published 26/09/2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.