Sleaford Manor 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

This means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People felt valued, respected and supported, contributing to a positive experience of care, they were supported by a staff team who demonstrated a strong and caring culture. People spoke positively about their experiences, describing staff as kind and supportive. One person said, “The staff we have are very good,” while another told us, “I feel comfortable with staff,” and described them as “delightful.”

Staff also spoke positively about the caring culture within the service. One staff member told us they would be happy for a relative to live at the service, as it was “a lovely home… the staff are good people,” and said their relative would be safe and happy there.

During our visit, we observed warm and respectful interactions between staff and people. Staff engaged with people in a patient and compassionate way. For example, we saw a member of staff supporting a person who had become upset. Although the person was unable to verbalise what was wrong, the staff member sat with them, held their hand, and spoke softly while offering reassurance and comfort. This demonstrated a good understanding of the person’s needs and what helped them to feel calm.

People’s privacy and dignity were respected, and staff showed empathy and kindness in their approach. External feedback also reflected this positive culture. A healthcare professional who regularly visited the service told us staff treated them with respect and were committed to ensuring people received good care.

People were treated as individuals and received care that was meaningful to them, supporting their well-being and sense of identity.

Staff ensured care, support and treatment were tailored to meet their needs and preferences. Staff took the time to understand what was important to people, including their strengths, abilities and personal histories.

People told us they were supported to live in ways that reflected their choices and preferences. One person explained they followed their own daily routine and staff supported them in the way they wanted. Others were supported to continue activities they enjoyed, such as gardening.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s individual needs and adapted their approach accordingly. For example, one person who regularly stayed at the service for respite care needed additional time to express themselves. They told us staff were patient and gave them time to respond during conversations.

Care was delivered in a way that respected people’s individuality, including their preferences, abilities and communication needs.

Staff encouraged people to make decisions about their day-to-day lives and supported individual lifestyle choices.

People told us they were supported to make their own decisions and that their personal preferences were respected. For example, one person who enjoyed sitting in the garden told us they were able to go outside when they wished. They described how a staff member had brought them a cup of tea while they were sitting outside, enabling them to enjoy this time in a way that suited them.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of promoting independence, supporting people to maintain control over their daily lives while providing appropriate support where needed. Care plans included guidance to help staff balance independence with safety.

Staff communicated with people in ways they could understand, adapting their approach to meet individual needs. During our inspection, we observed positive and meaningful interactions, with staff engaging in conversations with people who were able to communicate verbally.

Staff also demonstrated an understanding of how to support people who required non-verbal reassurance. We saw staff sitting with people, offering reassurance and checking their well-being using simple, closed questions to support them to respond.

Some members of staff felt the provider had not always promoted staff well-being. They told us recent changes, including the introduction of new systems and training alongside increased scrutiny following a serious incident, had placed additional pressure on them and impacted morale.

However, staff felt able to raise concerns and described the registered manager as supportive and approachable. Feedback indicated the registered manager had worked actively to support staff during this period.

The provider had taken steps to improve staff well-being, including arranging access to a counsellor, which was available both through on-site visits and telephone support. Further support was also being explored.

While these actions were positive and provided some support during a challenging period, they had not fully addressed the impact on staff and some pressures remained. This meant staff were not always optimally supported to deliver care in a consistently person-centred way.

Following the inspection and feedback, senior managers told us they had already recognised the concerns raised by staff and had taken further action to support them. This included enhanced support with training and the use of new systems. The provider also introduced initiatives to improve staff morale, such as a staff appreciation week with a range of activities to recognise staff contributions.

In addition, a staff survey had been undertaken, with a high response rate of approximately 90%, and the registered manager had begun implementing a “you said, we did” approach to demonstrate how staff feedback was being acted upon.