- Care home
St Andrews
Assessment report published 21 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
St Andrews is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 5 people. At the time of or assessment, there were 5 people using the service.
Who the service is for
The service supports adults with a learning disability and associated health needs who require accommodation and personal care. Staff tailored support to each person's needs, preferences and goals. They focused on promoting independence, choice and control while helping people stay safe and access healthcare and community opportunities.
Key findingsWe carried out this assessment on 25 July 2026.
This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People told us they felt safe and relatives were confident in the care and support provided. Staff learned from incidents and safeguarding concerns to improve practice. They understood people's individual risks and supported them to stay safe while promoting their independence and choice. People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs safely. Medicines were managed and administered safely overall, although we found improvements were needed to strengthen oversight of environmental safety, infection prevention and control, and medicines auditing. The provider acted promptly during and after the assessment to address the issues we identified.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives. One staff member told us, "We give them [people] choices and respect their choices." People confirmed staff respected their decisions, with one person telling us, "If I say I don't want to do something, staff listen."
Staff assessed people's needs before they moved into the service and reviewed care when their needs changed. They followed recognised guidance, worked with healthcare professionals and families, and supported people to achieve positive outcomes, including improved health, greater independence and access to healthcare.
Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect. They knew people well, promoted privacy, dignity, choice and independence, and adapted support to meet people's communication needs, culture and preferences. One relative told us staff were "always nice".
Staff provided person-centred care that reflected people's preferences, goals and aspirations. They involved people and their relatives in decisions about care, supported people to develop independent living skills and access meaningful activities, and adapted communication to ensure everyone could make informed choices and participate fully in daily life.
People, relatives and staff described an open and positive culture that had improved under the registered manager's leadership. Staff felt listened to and supported to raise ideas and learn from incidents and feedback. We found governance systems needed to improve so audits identified environmental, infection prevention and control and medicines recording issues sooner. Leaders responded quickly to our findings and strengthened monitoring arrangements.
People's experience of this service
People were happy, relaxed and comfortable in their home. They had positive relationships with staff and told us they felt safe, listened to and supported. One person told us, "I like living here." Another person told us they felt safe. People spoke warmly about the staff who supported them. One person told us, "Lovely team working here." while another person said they liked the staff.
Not everyone communicated their experiences verbally. We spoke with people, relatives and staff and completed a SOFI (Short Observational Framework for Inspection) to understand people's experiences throughout the day. We saw people were relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff and confidently approached them for support or reassurance. Staff recognised when people wanted company and when they preferred time on their own. For example, 1 person chose to spend time watching videos on their laptop with headphones on. Staff acknowledged them without interrupting and remained available if support was needed.
People had choice and control over their daily lives. They chose what to eat, what to wear, where they spent their time and the activities, they wanted to take part in. We saw people making drinks, completing household tasks, shopping in the community and making decisions about their day. Staff encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves while providing support when needed. One person told us, "Staff help me to make it myself." Another person explained how staff supported them to stay safe while maintaining their independence, saying, "I try not to rush."
Staff knew people well and adapted support to meet their individual needs, preferences and communication styles. They used pictorial menus, easy read information, social stories and personalised communication tools to help people understand information and make informed choices. Staff consistently respected people's privacy and dignity by asking for consent before providing support, knocking before entering bedrooms and supporting people at their own pace. One person told us, "Staff knock on the door before going in."
People lived full and meaningful lives. People had their own rooms which had been personalised to reflect individual personalities. Staff supported people to celebrate birthdays, enjoy holidays, go swimming, visit the cinema and take part in community activities that mattered to them. People also maintained important relationships with family and friends. One relative described how staff visited their family member in hospital on their birthday with a cake and balloon, demonstrating the caring relationships they had developed.
Relatives consistently described caring, person-centred support and told us they had seen positive changes since the current registered manager took up post. One relative told us, "[Person] is in a safe place." Other relatives told us, "It is clear the home is being managed really well now," and, "It has settled down now." Relatives described staff as "very good and competent," and "lovely." They praised communication from the service and said they received regular updates and photographs, helping them remain involved in their family member's life.