Sandon House

Updated 15 December 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience undertook the inspection on day 1. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Two inspectors undertook the inspection on day 2.

Service and service type

Sandon House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Sandon House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced on day 1.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service, such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed how staff provided support for people, to help us better understand their experiences of the care they received. We spoke with 12 people living in the home and 4 relatives. We spoke with 8 staff including; the registered manager, area director, wellbeing coordinator, kitchen and care staff. We also spoke with a visiting healthcare professional and training provider.

We had a tour of the building with the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records, including 6 people’s care records, 3 staff recruitment files, records relating to medicines, training and supervision, building maintenance, cleaning and equipment checks, accident and incidents and safeguarding logs and policies and procedures for infection control. Also, a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 15 December 2022

About the service

Sandon House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 42 people. At the time of our inspection there were 42 people using the service.

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

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.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding safeguarding. Risks to people, staff and within the home were well managed. There were detailed person-centred risk assessments and care plans in place. Accidents and incidents were well managed. There was detailed records of events, analysis and lessons learned. There were safe systems of recruitment in place and sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs. Medicines were managed and administered safely. The risks associated with COVID-19 and other infectious diseases were managed well.

Staff received the induction, training and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. People were supported to access a range of health care professionals. Good relationships were maintained between managers, staff and visiting health and social care professionals. People’s nutritional needs were met and people told us they liked the food.

People were well treated. They told us staff and managers had a caring and kind approach. A relative said, “The staff are all brilliant, they can’t do enough for [family member].” People and staffs’ individuality was respected and celebrated. Staff, the registered manager and area director knew people really well. They spoke with compassion and fondness about people. Our observations were of natural, relaxed relationships between staff and people who lived at the home.

There was a strong sense of community from all staff; both as a community within the home, and also about being part of the wider local community. People’s likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests were actively identified. There was a range of activities within the home and in the wider community that had been developed based on these. The provider was following the Accessible Information Standard.

The home was very well run and managed. The registered manager had a good understanding of what was needed to provide quality care. There was a range of very detailed oversight, quality monitoring and auditing. The registered manager placed great importance on continuous improvement. We saw a consistent culture of learning from incidents and a positive approach to embedding any learning. Opportunities had been created for people who live at the home to be part of checks and audits of standards and quality for dining and infection prevention. These had been embedded in the overall quality monitoring of the service. The registered manager and area director demonstrated a strong belief and commitment to high quality, responsive, person centred care and support. Staff shared this commitment. Everyone was positive about the registered manager and the way they managed the home. One person said, "She’s very good, if you ever have any problems you go to her and she sorts things out straight away.”

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

Rating at the last inspection

This service was registered with us on 27 August 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 29 March 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and the length of time since registration.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.