Sandrock House Residential Care Home

On this page

• 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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.
 

This service scored 95 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service demonstrated an exceptional culture of kindness, compassion and dignity. Staff consistently treated people with warmth, empathy and respect, taking time to understand what was important to them and providing support in ways that promoted comfort, reassurance and emotional wellbeing. People were relaxed, content and clearly valued the genuine relationships they had developed with staff.
Compassion extended beyond the people living at the home and included those closest to them. Staff recognised the emotional impact that changing health needs and end-of-life care could have on families and went above and beyond to provide support. Relatives were kept fully informed and involved in decisions, receiving honest and transparent communication throughout. Staff provided comfort, reassurance and emotional support during difficult times, offering both privacy when families wished to spend time alone with their loved one and a supportive presence when they needed guidance or companionship.
The service had created an environment where families were welcomed as part of the home. Staff worked sensitively to ensure people remained comfortable, pain-free and cared for in accordance with their wishes, values and religious beliefs. Several examples demonstrated staff going above and beyond, including supporting distressed relatives with practical arrangements and ensuring families felt cared for during the end of their relatives life.
This compassionate approach was embedded throughout the service and reflected a culture where people and those important to them were treated with genuine kindness, dignity and respect at all times.

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they ensured people’s care, support and treatment reflected their needs, preferences and what mattered most to them. Staff took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, backgrounds and individual circumstances and used this knowledge to provide care which supported people to remain themselves and live meaningful lives.
The provider recognised the importance of people being able to make informed choices before deciding whether the service was right for them. People considering moving to the service were invited to spend time in the communal areas and hear directly from people who already lived there about their experiences. Staff recognised the value of people hearing an authentic account of daily life from those receiving care, rather than relying solely on information provided by managers. This gave prospective residents and their families an opportunity to make decisions based on the experiences of people living at the service and provided a genuine insight into what life was like there. Staff demonstrated exceptional awareness of the impact a person’s admission could have on those important to them. When a person moved into the service, staff recognised the change was having a significant emotional impact on someone close to them. Staff noticed changes in their wellbeing and presentation and understood that they were finding it difficult to adjust to the change in circumstances.
Rather than simply identifying this as a concern, staff took a compassionate and person-centred approach to supporting both individuals while protecting the dignity, independence and pride of the person close to the individual.
Staff worked collaboratively with the family to develop a sensitive approach that enabled the person to remain closely involved in the individual’s life. They were encouraged to spend meaningful time together within the service and to become involved in activities and mealtimes. Staff presented this involvement positively, enabling the person to feel valued and able to contribute rather than feeling that their independence was being taken away.
This thoughtful approach enabled important relationships to be maintained, reduced feelings of isolation and supported emotional wellbeing. Staff also recognised the positive impact this had on the person living at the service, who benefited from continued meaningful contact with someone important to them. Staff looked beyond the immediate needs of the individual receiving care and recognised the importance of supporting the wellbeing of those who mattered to them. Their sensitive, respectful and creative approach enabled relationships to be maintained while ensuring everyone involved felt valued, respected and included.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, ensuring people had choice and control over their care, support and wellbeing. Staff understood the importance of enabling people to make choices about how they spent their time and supported them to maintain skills and interests which were important to them.
Staff recognised how previous lives, interests and routines contributed to people’s identity and wellbeing. One person was struggling to settle into the service and told staff they missed the garden they had cared for at home. Staff understood the importance of this to the person and recognised the impact losing this part of their life was having on their wellbeing. Rather than expecting the person to adapt to their new surroundings, staff adapted the environment to reflect what mattered to them.
The provider created a personal garden outside the person’s patio door, providing a raised garden, gardening trolley and personal gardening tools. The handyman provided compost and plants chosen by the person. This enabled the person to maintain their garden independently and continue an activity which had previously given them purpose and pride.
The person took great pleasure in caring for their plants and spending time in the garden in the evening. Staff had enabled the person to retain an important part of their identity and continue making choices about an activity which gave them enjoyment and purpose. This demonstrated an exceptional approach to independence, where staff did not simply support people with their assessed needs but understood what mattered to them and made practical changes so they could continue living their life on their own terms.

The provider was exceptional in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff knew people well and responded to what people told them, making practical changes to the environment and daily experience to ensure people felt comfortable, valued and able to live in a way which suited them.
The provider created a strong sense of belonging, with staff viewing the service as a place where people lived together and supported one another. This approach was reflected in the way staff listened to people and responded to their individual preferences. For example, people told staff they valued having access to additional television channels. In response, the provider ensured people could access Sky TV and provided large-button, easy-to-use portable handsets for people who wanted their own telephone in their bedroom. Fridges and smart televisions were also available in bedrooms, giving people greater choice and control over how they used their personal space.
Staff also recognised people had different preferences for how they spent their time. Alongside the main activities programme, the provider created two additional smaller lounges. These provided people with the choice to participate in one-to-one activities or spend time away from others when they wanted peace and quiet. This enabled people to choose the environment which best suited their mood, preferences and needs rather than expecting everyone to participate in communal activities.
The provider’s approach demonstrated a strong understanding that listening to people was not simply about asking for their views; it was about acting on what people said. Small changes to the environment and the availability of different spaces gave people greater choice, comfort and control over their everyday lives.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.
Staff consistently spoke extremely highly of the provider and told us leaders were always supportive and responsive to their individual wellbeing needs, including adapting roles and working arrangements to support staff with personal circumstances or health conditions. A member of staff told us, “I think we are a lovely home the setting, staff, and residents. We all go above and beyond, and everyone loves their job and wants to do the best for the residents and that is because they have a close relationship. Everyone works so well together as a team.”
The provider promoted a positive and inclusive culture where staff felt valued, listened to and involved in decision making. Sandrock House is operated by Sherwood Care Home Limited which is a small organisation. The organisation believes their care teams are at the heart of all they do, and staff had opportunities to contribute ideas, influence improvements and share in the organisation’s success. Leaders encouraged feedback through suggestion schemes and recognised staff contributions through awards, and development opportunities. A member of staff told us, “Team moral is good, everyone gets on incredibly well.”
Staff were entirely positive about the strong team culture and told us they felt respected, supported and proud to work at the service. We saw examples of staff receiving specialist training and support to develop and be promoted within their roles. Low staff turnover and strong teamwork promoted excellent continuity of care for people, creating a positive, consistent and exceptionally caring environment.