Sandhills Court Care Home

Updated 30 April 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

The inspection was completed by three inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Sandhills Court 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.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a manager in post who had applied for registration with the CQC.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the 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 (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 spoke with nine members of staff including the manager, regional support director, unit managers, care workers, catering staff, domestic staff and the maintenance team.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people's care records and medication administrations records. We inspected five staff files in relation to their recruitment, induction, training and supervision. A variety of other records relating to the management of the service, including audits and policies and procedures, were also reviewed.

We inspected the environment and spent time observing interactions between people and staff, and infection prevention and control practices.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence found. We requested and reviewed additional records including training data and other records relating to the management of the service.

We spoke with four people who used the service and six people's relatives about their experience of the care provided.

Updated 30 April 2022

About the service

Sandhills Court is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 77 older people and younger adults including people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 51 people were living at the service.

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

A system was in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, however these were not always effective in identifying and addressing issues.

We have made a recommendation in relation to capturing information to support service delivery.

The provider ensured staff received mandatory training to carry out their roles. However, staff did not always receive training to meet people’s individual assessed needs.

We have made a recommendation in relation to accessing additional training for staff were needed.

Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough staff on duty. People were happy with the care they received, they felt safe and well looked after.

Staff received training in safeguarding and followed clear guidance which helped to protect people from abuse. Care plans included risk assessments for known risks and staff followed support plans to help keep people safe. Accidents and incidents were monitored to identify and address trends and actions were implemented to reduce risk.

People received care and support that was developed to meet their individual needs as reflected in their care plans.

People were supported to take their medicines safely as prescribed.

People felt consulted about their wishes and they knew how to make a complaint if they wished to.

People had access to health care and support from other health professionals, which supported them to maintain their health and wellbeing.

The home was clean and tidy and additional cleaning ensured people were safe from the risk of infection.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 10 December 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

At our last inspection we recommended the provider developed a system to assure themselves staff had the right competence and knowledge in relation to The Mental Capacity Act. We also recommended the provider followed best practice guidance in relation to reviewing and updating care plans. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on these recommendations and improvements had been made.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced inspection of this service on 03 November 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, consent and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective, responsive and well-led.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Sandhills Court on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.