Sandhills Court Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service can accommodate a maximum of 77 people. At the time of this inspection 56 people were using the service. The property is a purpose-built care home with dedicated nursing and dementia units. It is built across three floors with en-suite bedrooms, bathroom facilities, relaxation lounges and dining facilities located across all floors.

At the time of the inspection a registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe and trusted the staff. Staff were knowledgeable in recognising signs of potential abuse and understood their responsibilities and duty of care. Risks to people's safety and wellbeing were appropriately managed. Staff were aware of the risks to people's wellbeing and what action they had to take to minimise risks. All risk assessments were reviewed monthly or sooner if circumstances changed. This helped to protect people.

Staff were recruited using safe recruitment procedures and processes. We observed that the staffing levels provided on the day of our inspection met people's needs. Staff were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities and were trained in a variety of subjects to develop and maintain their skills. Staff received a thorough induction at the start of their employment. Training was updated, as required and staff received regular supervision and annual appraisals.

Medicines were administered safely by staff who had received training and were competent in this task. Records of medicines administered were regularly checked to minimise the risk of errors being missed.

Staff knew the people they were supporting well and care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported including people's likes and dislikes. The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). People's health and nutritional needs were assessed and staff worked well as a team liaising with relevant organisations and professionals for advice to help maintain people's independence and wellbeing.

People were cared for with kindness and compassion. They were treated with dignity and respect and supported to maintain their independence by staff that knew them well. Staff supported people to maintain and develop their relationships with those close to them, their social networks, and local community. Care and support plans were person-centred and included people's views. This ensured people chose how to spend their time and were able to make choices about their daily lives.

The service provided activities which were meaningful to the people living in the home. This meant that people were supported to pursue interests and hobbies that were important to them. Activities were continually evaluated to ensure that they remained appropriate to people's needs and individual preferences. People accessed the local community either independently or with support. The registered provider encouraged community involvement and invited people into the home on a regular basis.

The service supported people and their families to consider and record their wishes for end of life care. They worked closely with health care professionals to ensure people's end of life experience was comfortable and dignified.

A complaints procedure was in place. People who used the service and their relatives knew how to make a complaint. Processes were in place to investigate and resolve complaints.

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