About the service: We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Sandford Road on 14 May 2019. Sandford Road is a ‘care home’ that provides care for a maximum of 6 people, some of whom may challenge the service. At the time of the inspection 6 people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were not all able to fully verbalise their views therefore they were not able to tell us about their experience of living there. Due to people’s current needs we were only able to spend a short amount of time with people. However, we were able to observe some interactions between people and the staff supporting them.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were committed to delivering care in a person-centred way based on people's preferences and wishes. There was a stable staff team who were knowledgeable about the people living at the service and had built trusting and meaningful relationships with them.

Staff were recruited safely and sufficient numbers where employed to ensure people’s care and social needs were met. Staff knew how to keep people safe from harm.

There was time for people to have social interaction and activity with staff. Staff actively encouraged people to maintain links with the local community, their friends and family.

People's care was individualised and focused on promoting their independence as well as their physical and mental well-being. People were supported to take positive risks, to ensure they had as much choice and control of their lives as possible.

The environment had been adapted to meet people’s individual needs and keep them safe from harm. Staff had received appropriate training and support to enable them to carry out their role safely, including the management of medicines.

People were supported to access healthcare services, staff recognised changes in people's health, and sought professional advice appropriately. People were involved in shopping, meal planning and preparation. Staff encouraged people to eat a well-balanced diet and make healthy eating choices.

Where restrictions had been put in place to keep people safe this had been done in line with the requirements of the legislation as laid out in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Any restrictive practices were recorded and regularly reviewed to check they were still necessary and proportionate.

There was a clearly defined management structure and regular oversight and input from senior management. Staff were positive about the management of the service and told us the registered manager was very supportive and approachable. Any concerns or worries were listened, addressed and used as opportunities to make continuous improvements to the service.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection since the registration change. Under the previous provider the service was rated Good overall. However, they had been rated Requires Improvement in Well Led as quality assurance systems were not robust. That report was published on 15 May 2017.

Why we inspected:

This inspection was a scheduled comprehensive inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk