Sandown Court (Care Outlook)

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

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This is the first assessment for this newly re-registered service which was taken over by a new provider in November 2023.

This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 85 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People were overwhelmingly positive about the care and support they received at scheme. One person told us, “The staff are all lovely and look after me so well. Always kind and friendly.” Another person added, “Staff treat me with dignity and respect my privacy. They always knock on the front door to my flat and ask me if it’s all right if they come in.”

People looked at ease and comfortable in the presence of staff. Staff interaction with people was characterised by warmth and kindness and we saw they treated people with the utmost respect throughout our onsite visit. For example, we observed staff frequently sit and chat with people relaxing in the communal lounge and always knock on the front doors of people’s flats and ask the occupants permission to enter before doing so.

Staff spoke about people in a respectful and positive manner. A member of staff told us, “Respecting people’s privacy and dignity is something I prioritise in everything I do. For example, I always knock before entering someone’s room, cover them with a towel while providing personal care, and involve them in decisions to make sure they feel comfortable and respected. Speaking to people kindly and addressing them by their preferred name is also something we are all trained to do here.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People received care and support from staff according to their individually assessed needs and wishes. People told us staff treated them as individuals and understood what their specific personal care needs, preferences and daily routines were.

Care plans were personalised and contained detailed information about people’s strengths, likes and dislikes, and how they preferred staff to meet their personal care and support needs and wishes.

The service was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People told us staff supported them to be as independent as they could and wanted to be and to have as much choice and control over their lives as possible.

The scheme always offered people a front door key to their flat, so they could come and go as they pleased. Some people told us they liked shopping and always bought their own food and clothes, as well as managed their own medicines. One person remarked, “I really enjoy going out on my own without staff to buy my own food and visiting a local social club where lots of my friends go.” An external care professional added, “Staff supported my client to join a befriending service to help them build their confidence and develop their independent living skills so they could access the wider community and use public transport on their own. They are now far more independent and going out more on their own.”

Managers and staff confirmed they respected people’s choices and supported them to make informed decisions about the care and support they received. The registered manager told us, “We explain to [name of service user] the risks and rewards of accessing the wider community independently so they know all the facts and how to stay safe.” A member of staff added, “If someone wants to spend time on their own in the local community, we respect their decision and support them to make this happen.”

Staff told us care plans gave them a good overview of people’s differing dependency levels, so they knew exactly what people were willing and capable of doing safely for themselves, and what tasks they would need additional support with. We observed a member of staff actively encourage a person who was sensory impaired to independently access the front door to their flat without any staff support to help them maintain this independent living skill.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff supported people to access external health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of people’s health care needs and how to respond to any immediate health care emergencies to minimise the risk of people becoming distressed or unwell, emotionally and/or physically.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us the managers helped them to feel happy and safe at work. A member of staff said, “I absolutely love working at Sandown Court. I don't think there’s a better place to work. It’s such a happy place. We’re like one big happy family here. We work so well-together and are always there to offer each other any help and support we might need.” Another member of staff added, “The managers always ask us if we’re doing ok in ourselves and if there’s anything we would like to discuss with them. We get so much support from them. I know I can confide in [senior managers] if I’m ever upset about anything at work or at home for that matter.” Managers routinely used individual and group meetings to enquire about staffs wellbeing.