55 Sandwich Road

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 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 and leaders promoted a culture which treated people with exceptional kindness and respect at all times, which reflected them as equals in their own care. During our inspection we observed people had developed positive and trusting relationships with their staff team, who knew them well and how to support them in feeling safe and comfortable at Sandwich Road. When we arrived at the service people had just returned from shopping, and staff prioritised their wellbeing by ensuring they were settled and comfortable in their own space before greeting the inspector. Staff ensured they communicated with us and were knowledgeable about individual factors which may cause people additional distress so that steps could be taken to promote their wellbeing. We observed staff and people sat down to have a meal together which was routine practice and reflected a culture of togetherness and inclusion. Relatives also spoke positively about the staff who supported their loved ones. One relative told us “I am really happy with the support. My relative had an amazing life and staff are thoughtful and caring”.

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

People received care that was individualised to them and gave them control over day to day life to support them in taking part in the things that were meaningful to them. One person had family from a different cultural background. Staff had worked with them to plan meals that reflected this heritage, as well as displaying photos of their family prominently in their room. People had control over the environment in which they lived, and both people had recently worked with staff to redecorate their bedrooms which reflected each person’s individuals interests and life story. People enjoyed spending time in the garden and a project was underway to involve them in improving the space so they could enjoy it to the full. During our inspection, people went out shopping with staff to look for ideas together of how they could improve the garden.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People’s care plans guided staff on how to ensure people had maximum opportunity to do tasks for themselves, such as around personal care to promote their dignity and independence. Any restrictions in place were appropriately assessed and documented through regular best interest meetings and the DoLS process. Staff described how they would support people in making choices as part of their daytoday care. One staff member explained, “We promote this as much as can, even things like food choices, clothing, activities. Both people we support cannot communicate verbally but know what they want and will push things away or take things they want.”

The provider was exceptional in how they 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. People were supported by a team of dedicated and compassionate staff, who were available at all times and knowledgeable about how to respond if people needed additional support. People could not communicate verbally, so there was a greater importance of staff reading people’s body language and facial expressions which they were able to do confidently. During our inspection we saw examples of staff speaking to people with kindness and compassion to protect their dignity and reduce risks to themself or others. We also saw staff proactively offering people companionship and reassurance in a personalised and kind manner. We observed one person sitting quietly, and the staff member sat with them but respected and recognised their wish for quiet time. However, they sat with them in silence to provide companionship and gently placed a hand on their knee to make sure the person felt safe and knew they were there.

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 felt empowered in their roles, and they were actively listened to with their wellbeing considered at all times. There were regular supervisions which gave staff a chance to discuss their own wellbeing and discuss how the provider could help them develop in their own careers. Staff were encouraged to take on additional roles, this included being empowered to lead on undertaking certain audits, or leading quality improvement projects. For example, one member of staff who was working with people to improve the garden space. Staff and leaders told us there was always somebody available to speak to if they had concerns, and there were regular meetings to give staff an opportunity to come together to discuss these. One staff member told us, “It’s a lovely place to work. The provider has been really supportive around my personal needs. Things are really settled we have a good team and enough staff”. Another staff member added “I love what I do and helping people who are less fortunate. I’m really happy working here, we have really good teamwork, and support and value each other”.