Sandstone Brook

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.
 

This service scored 79 (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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People received personalised care and support which reflected their individual needs, preferences and wishes. People and relatives told us their needs, likes and dislikes were all known by staff. One person told us they gave staff lots of information about themselves and now staff knew all about them and their needs. Relatives were involved in people’s care plans where appropriate, to ensure where people lacked capacity, key information could be captured. One relative told us, “We were asked lots of questions about how [Person’s name] needed to be supported and staff are now doing that.”

People’s care plans included key information about their preferences, the level of support they required, and how they wished their care to be delivered. One staff member told us, “We are kept informed about changes in the needs of the people we support. This can be through handovers, staff meetings and the person's care plans. I think the care plans are good and give us a lot of information to support people safely. We have to read people's care plans to be able to understand how to support them.” This helped to ensure people’s physical, emotional and social needs were met when their care was planned.

Person centred care extended to the events and activities within the home. People and their relatives were bought together in the community café and we saw people, families and staff all joining in together as a community.
 

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People benefited from the service having established working relationships with external health professionals. People experienced continuity of care because staff worked with a range of health and social care professionals to ensure their needs and their changing needs were met. Staff maintained regular communication with healthcare professionals and acted on their advice to support people's health and wellbeing.

Records showed changes in people's needs were identified and responded to promptly. Referrals to specialist services were made in a timely way, and professional recommendations were incorporated into care plans and daily practice. This helped to ensure people received coordinated care which reflected their current needs and encouraged positive outcomes.

Information was shared appropriately between services and professionals, supporting seamless transitions and reducing the risk of gaps in care. One health professional told us staff were receptive to the feedback they gave and will contact them to discuss any concerns they had with people’s health. This collaborative approach enabled people to access the right support at the right time and helped ensure their care remained safe, responsive and person-centred.
 

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats which were tailored to individual needs.

People were provided with information in a way which reflected their individual communication needs and preferences. Communication needs were identified as part of people’s pre-admission assessment process, which included any requirements relating to language, culture or sensory impairment. People’s care plans contained information about any communication barriers and how staff should support them to understand information and express their wishes and preferences, such as observing body language or giving opportunities for the person to write things down. One relative told us staff had provided picture menus to help their family member communicate their meal choices, adding, "Staff know how to care for [Person’s name]."

A service user guide was available to people and their relatives, providing information about the home and what people could expect from the service. The provider also produced a quarterly newsletter containing updates, celebrations and information about events across its services. Information was made available in large print where required, helping to ensure people could access information in a way which met their needs.
 

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People and their relatives were encouraged to share their views and experiences of the service and had opportunities to do so through surveys and ongoing discussions with staff and managers. Feedback was used to help inform service development and identify areas for improvement. The most recent survey had resulted in a “resident led initiative” to convert the home’s computer room into a sensory space. People and relatives told us they felt able to raise any issues or complaints and the registered manager was approachable and available as needed. They also knew of the resident experience manager and told us they could speak with them also.

People and their relatives had access to a complaints procedure, which enabled them to raise concerns in a more formal way. Records showed complaints were taken seriously, investigated appropriately, and responded to in a timely manner.

A few relatives told us it sometimes took a while for the telephone to be answered. One relative told us, “It would be great if we could have a direct line into [Person’s name] room. We shared this with the registered manager who told us they would take this feedback on board.
 

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People had equal access to healthcare services and support when they needed them. Staff worked proactively with a range of healthcare professionals, including GPs, community nurses, mental health teams, chiropodists and opticians, to help ensure people's health needs were identified and met promptly. Health referrals were made appropriately, and people were supported to access specialist advice and treatment without delay, such as dental care. Staff monitored people's health and wellbeing and sought professional input when concerns arose.

In emergency situations, staff acted promptly to obtain the appropriate support, including contacting out-of-hours medical services and emergency ambulance teams where required. This helped to ensure people received timely access to care and treatment, and their health needs were responded to effectively.

The home had been purpose-built, and the environment was accessible and equipped with adaptations to support people to move around safely and independently. Corridors were wide enough to accommodate mobility equipment, and handrails were installed throughout corridors.

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.

People experienced positive and equitable outcomes because care and support were tailored to their individual needs, goals and circumstances. Staff worked with people to understand what was important to them and supported them to achieve outcomes which enhanced their health, wellbeing and quality of life.

People described the impact the service had on their lives in highly positive terms. One person told us, "Excellent care and they have really helped with my recovery and my mental health as I was really low when I came here." This demonstrated how staff supported people not only with their physical health needs but also their emotional wellbeing.

The service promoted inclusion and meaningful participation. For example, one person had been supported to take on the role of café manager within the service's community café, providing opportunities to contribute to the running of the service, develop relationships and maintain a sense of purpose and achievement. The café was accessible to all people living at the service, helping to create opportunities for social engagement and reducing the risk of isolation. One relative spoke about how their family member was included in the activities which took place. They told us, “There were Llamas and mini ponies and they included [Person’s name]. They did as much as they could to include [Person’s name].” These examples demonstrated a culture which focused on people's aspirations and opportunities and supported people to achieve outcomes which mattered to them and reduced barriers to wellbeing.

The registered manager demonstrated a commitment to continually improving outcomes for people. In order to improve the home’s provision of dementia nursing care, the registered manager had engaged the support of a dementia consultant to review the environment, provide specialist training and develop staff practice. The registered manager told us they wanted to ensure people living with dementia received support which reflected current good practice and promoted positive experiences and outcomes.
 

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

People were given the opportunity to discuss and record their future care wishes, including what they wanted to happen at the end of their life, at a time which suited them. We saw staff had not had these discussions with everyone because the person was not ready to talk about this, but this was kept under review.

People had a ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) document in place. Health professionals worked with people to discuss and record their preferences, to ensure they would receive appropriate care and treatment in the event of a future emergency where they might lack capacity to make or express choices. These plans were referred to in people’s care plans to ensure all staff understood people’s wishes, especially with regards to their wishes around resuscitation.