The Sandford Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We identified 1 breach of the legal regulations. Systems to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service people received were not always effective in identifying shortfalls or driving improvement. We received mixed views from professionals who worked with the service about how the service worked with them. Staff felt supported in their role and were confident in speaking up. People’s views were encouraged and responded to.

This service scored 62 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered manager promoted a positive culture where people and staff were treated equally. A member of staff told us how the registered manager provided opportunities for staff to express and celebrate their culture. They said, “Once or twice a year [name of registered manager] arranges a celebration, and we get to dress in clothes from our culture and bring in food to share. The residents really enjoyed it.” Staff told us they were kept up to date about all aspects of the home through regular meetings and they said they were encouraged to express their views.

There were regular meetings and surveys for people and staff where their views were encouraged. Results of a recent survey was positive and included action taken in response to people’s views.

Staff told us the registered manager was very visible in the home and often worked on the floor providing support to people. A member of staff said, “[Name of registered manager] is very good and will work on the floor. They are always available, and we worked as a team.” A person who lived at the home told us, “The manager will often come and chat with me.”

The registered manager told us they were supported in their role by the provider. Staff were supported through regular supervisions where they could discuss their role and performance. There was a programme in place which recognised and rewarded staff who had gone above and beyond in their role. Nominations were made by people and the staff team.

Staff knew how to raise concerns and were confident action would be taken. A member of staff said, “You can go straight to [name of registered manager] if you have any concerns.” Another member of staff told us, “[Name of registered manager ] is very approachable and is always available.”

There was a whistleblowing policy in place which was understood by staff. There were also out of hours contact details for the provider and registered manager. Staff views were encouraged through regular meetings, supervisions and feedback surveys.

Staff told us they were treated fairly in their workplace and were well supported in their role.

The culture of the service was continuously reviewed through regular meetings, supervisions and feedback surveys. Staff received training about equality and diversity and the provider had policies in place.

The registered manager and staff team were aware of their roles and responsibilities. However, staff did not always work in accordance with the provider’s policies and procedures. The registered manager acknowledged the areas in which we had found shortfalls and accepted that care plan and risk assessment reviews were not taking place as often as they should, leading to staff having incorrect guidance around people's needs.

Systems to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided were not always effective in identifying shortfalls or driving improvement. For example, audits and checks had not identified the shortfalls we found during our visits. The registered manager’s audits and checks were not shared with the provider, so they had no clear oversight of the service provided.

People could be confident that they would be supported to access the healthcare services they needed.

The registered manager told us they were working to build more positive working relationships with the local GP surgery to achieve good outcomes for people. They told us they had good relationships with commissioners and social care professionals.

We received mixed feedback from professionals involved with the service. Some felt the service did not always work effectively with them and were over reliant on them regarding clinical judgements. Others commented they experienced good partnership working.

Practices were in place to ensure people accessed external professional services as needed.

Staff received the training needed to carry out their role however, staff did not always apply their learning effectively. An example of this included The Mental Capacity Act 2005. The registered manager acknowledged improvements were needed with regard to learning from accidents and incidents.

Systems for recording accidents and incidents were not always effective in identifying trends or learning from mistakes or events. Systems to ensure staff applied their learning and training were not always effective. There were meetings for staff and people using the service where information was shared and views were encouraged, listened and responded to. People and staff could also express their views in annual satisfaction surveys.