Sands Lodge

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 Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 65 (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 did not always treat people with empathy and compassion or respect their privacy and dignity.

Whilst interactions were positive between people and staff, and we received positive feedback. Measures put in place at the service meant that people’s right to privacy and dignity were not always respected or given sufficient thought.

We found that not all people at the service had the opportunity to privacy should they need it. The service assessed that some people needed to ask staff or other residents if they wished to have time alone in their rooms. This directly contravened statutory guidance found in right support, right care, right culture. It is stated that the service should operate so people, ‘have privacy for themselves and with visitors.’

The provider treated people as individuals. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

We found that people were supported as individuals in regard to activities, community engagements and opportunities. For example, there was a concerted effort to support people to exercise their right to vote. Meetings for people at the service raised this and provided information, this was followed up by reminders and practical support, this resulted in some at the service going out to vote.

The service also catered for people’s religious and cultural needs well. A relative of a person using the service told us, “Religious and culture is acknowledged a 100 percent, the service ensures catering and halal option are offered.”

The provider did not always promote people’s independence, so people did not always know their rights and have choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

We found one example where a person was in a shared room yet there was documented evidence that this was not fully in line with their preferences. This directly contravened statutory guidance found in right support, right care, right culture. This along with concerns highlighted in other areas of the report meant that we were not assured that peoples choices were always respected or that they had significant control in all aspects of their life and care.

We found that peoples choices were respected in regard to activities, community engagements and opportunities among other areas.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment.

The provider worked to ensure that people’s needs were catered for when these were identified. For example, a person at the service chose to undergo a diet, as their birthday approached the person indicated that cakes were not healthy, and they did not wish to have a cake provided for their birthday. Staff created a cake made entirely of fruit. This was shared with the person with positive results and outcomes, enabling them to enjoy their birthday and not miss out.

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 that they felt valued and supported, comments included, “Yes, I really enjoy working at Sands Lodge. We have a good team, and I feel well supported in my role.” Another staff member told us, “Yes, Sands lodge is a good place to work. I like the atmosphere, it feels peaceful. I like the team spirit every member of staff possesses, I also like that we are constantly learning.”

The service utilised a feedback platform and gathered feedback from staff on the service so that staff felt heard. Feedback received was analysed and included in the service’s improvement plans.