Sandrock House Residential Care 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

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.
 

This service scored 96 (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 had a clear shared vision and culture based on kindness, respect, inclusion and an exceptional understanding of people as individuals. These values were evident in the positive relationships between people, staff and management. Staff described the service as a place of safety where people supported and looked out for one another, creating a strong sense of belonging.
Staff demonstrated these values by looking beyond people’s immediate care needs and responding to the wellbeing of those important to them. This approach benefited both people and reflected the provider’s strong family-focused culture.
Staff felt able to contribute ideas, raise concerns and discuss learning openly. People, relatives and professionals described staff as approachable and responsive. The provider’s values were evident in everyday practice, with staff consistently going beyond the immediate requirements of their roles to understand what mattered to people and respond with compassion, creativity and respect. People experienced exceptional care as a result. One relative said, “I have generally made a good choice for my relative to live here. I looked at other places in the area but the atmosphere here was far more comfortable and friendlier. It’s a compact home, nice gardens and other just didn’t tick the box in the same way. I never doubt their commitment.”

The provider had exceptionally inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.
Managers demonstrated compassionate, inclusive and visible leadership. They worked alongside staff, remained readily available and understood the pressures of day-to-day practice. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns, share ideas and suggest changes, with managers willing to listen and make changes where these would benefit people and staff. Without exception all relatives gave positive feedback. One relative said, “Everything was excellent from start to finish, always been treated so well. I have recommended the home to 3 people.” Another relative said, “It’s a credit to them they do a fantastic job, the best I have seen.”
Managers recognised individual staff strengths and supported staff to develop their knowledge and confidence. Staff were encouraged to undertake champion training and share their knowledge with colleagues. Where care staff lacked confidence in areas such as supporting medicines, facilitating healthcare visits and other responsibilities, managers provided additional training to strengthen their skills and reduce pressure on senior staff.
Managers also supported staff to overcome individual barriers to learning. For example, when a staff member did not have access to a computer and was unsure how they would complete online training, managers arranged private time for them to use the home’s laptop with support from the manager or deputy. The provider also supported the staff member to attend IT lessons in the community and accommodated their rota to enable this.
The provider actively encouraged staff to develop their careers and gain qualifications. One staff member was supported with time around their rota to study and subsequently progressed into a district nursing role. Managers also recognised staff who had worked for the service for 5 years or more, acknowledging their loyalty and contribution to people living at Sandrock House.
Managers demonstrated a thoughtful approach to supporting staff wellbeing. They considered individual circumstances, including childcare difficulties, and worked with staff to find solutions which were safe for the service and workable for the individual. Staff were also thanked for their contribution at the end of shifts, reinforcing the provider’s appreciation of their work.
Managers' approach created an inclusive culture where staff were valued as individuals, supported to develop and encouraged to contribute to the quality of the service. Their visible leadership, willingness to listen and investment in staff development demonstrated a strong commitment to enabling staff to provide the best possible care and support to people.

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people and staff knew they could speak up and their voices would be heard. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns, share ideas and challenge practice, with staff and managers describing an open approach where concerns could be discussed without fear of repercussions. The provider recognised the importance of staff feeling able to speak openly and supported a culture where feedback was welcomed and acted upon. Staff were also encouraged to contribute ideas for improvement and were involved in discussions about learning when things had not gone as planned. This created an environment where people and staff felt safe to express their views, confident they would be listened to and able to influence positive change. Relatives feedback was important to shape the direction of the service. Relatives said, “I have no reason to complain, nothing. If I were to suggest an improvement, they would try their best to get it right and learn from it but there’s nothing to improve.”

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.
Staff told us they were consistently treated with fairness, respect, and value by the service. They described a workplace where they felt able to be themselves, with individuality and diversity fully accepted and embraced. Comprehensive training in equality, diversity, and human rights provided staff with a strong understanding of their responsibilities and supported highly inclusive, person-centred practice.
A strong and proactive commitment was evident in maintaining a positive, respectful, and empowering working environment. Staff said they felt genuinely listened to, supported, and encouraged to share their views, describing a culture where everyone’s contributions were recognised and appreciated. One staff member told us, “This inclusive approach fostered a cohesive team that worked collaboratively and consistently delivered care of an exceptional standard which in turn impacted on the high-quality care and support people received.”
 

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. The provider and management team demonstrated exceptional, visible and hands-on leadership. The provider regularly visited the service, knew people and staff well and remained closely involved in the day-to-day life of the home, with decisions focused on people’s wellbeing, quality of life and what mattered to them. A professional who had regular involvement with the service told us, “I would recommend Sandrock House to others and, if I needed care for my own relative, I would feel confident choosing this service.” Financial resources were managed carefully, but the provider demonstrated a clear commitment to investing in people, staff and the environment where this would improve outcomes, including providing equipment, developing staff skills and responding to individual needs. The registered manager provided exceptional leadership and was supported by an experienced deputy manager who had worked at the service for several years and knew the people, staff and service in depth. Their complementary strengths provided stability and enabled them to work collaboratively, challenge existing arrangements and adapt audits and governance systems to strengthen their effectiveness. Managers were visible and approachable, encouraged staff to contribute ideas and responded positively to feedback and learning. The combined leadership of the provider, registered manager and deputy created a strong culture where people were exceptionally well known, staff felt valued and supported, and resources and governance systems were continually focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for people.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, with staff actively developing relationships with external services and the local community to improve people's experiences and outcomes. Staff understood the importance of people remaining connected to their community and created opportunities for people to participate in ordinary community life. Each week, the activity coordinator and relatives who regularly volunteered supported 6 people, on a rotational basis, to attend Cantley Community Centre. The service had also developed a relationship with a local nursery, with children visiting monthly to sing, play games and spend time with people who wanted to participate. The provider said these opportunities had been very successful, and people particularly enjoyed the visits from the children.
The service worked creatively with health professionals to make sure people continued to receive the care they needed when usual arrangements were disrupted. Using lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, the provider introduced video appointments with GPs when face-to-face visits were not possible. These continued to be used when appropriate and beneficial. This showed an outstanding ability to adapt partnership working and use technology effectively so people could maintain access to healthcare.
The provider also supported people to remain independent and connected to their local community, while managing risks in a positive and proportionate way. Staff understood that seemingly small things could make a significant difference to people and those important to them. The registered manager explained, "At Sandrock House, we recognise that something we may see as a small thing can make a huge difference to a resident or their loved one's life. We empower residents to retain their identity and continue using the skills and knowledge they have gained throughout their lives. We also encourage them to share these skills with younger generations."
These examples demonstrated a proactive approach to partnership working which focused on enabling people to remain connected, access their community and receive the support they needed from external services. The provider did not allow organisational boundaries or changes in circumstances to unnecessarily limit people's opportunities. Instead, staff worked creatively with others and adapted their approach to achieve positive outcomes for people.

The provider demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to learning, improvement and innovation. There were several layers of governance and quality assurance checks across the service, which provided effective oversight and identified areas where practice and systems could be strengthened. Information from audits, reviews, staff feedback and professional input was used to identify improvements and drive changes in practice.
The registered manager and deputy manager demonstrated a genuine commitment to continually strengthening their systems. They did not rely on existing processes simply because they were established but regularly considered whether their audits and monitoring arrangements provided sufficient depth and assurance. Where they identified opportunities to improve oversight, they adapted their systems and sought learning from other professionals to strengthen their approach further.
Managers worked collaboratively with others to deepen their understanding of effective quality assurance and used this learning to develop the service. This demonstrated a reflective approach to governance, with managers actively seeking to test and improve their systems rather than waiting for concerns to identify weaknesses.
Staff were encouraged to contribute ideas and share learning, with managers listening and responding to suggestions. Learning was also discussed collectively, supporting a culture where improvement was seen as an ongoing responsibility across the service rather than solely the role of managers.
Multiple layers of oversight were used to identify opportunities for improvement, managers actively challenged and strengthened their own systems, and learning from others was used to deepen governance and improve outcomes for people. This created a culture of continuous improvement where the service was continually seeking to understand what it could do better and how this could be achieved.