The Sands Meadows

Updated 21 February 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

The Sands Meadows is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Sands Meadows is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. The registered manager was on extended leave. The deputy manager was managing the home until their return.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who lived in the home. We spoke with the relatives of 8 people. We spoke with three staff, the deputy manager and senior care staff. We received feedback from a further three staff who completed questionnaires. We reviewed a range of records which included; the care records of five people, several medicines records, health and safety records, audits of care records and practice and staff meeting minutes.

Updated 21 February 2023

About the service

The Sands Meadows is a care home providing accommodation and personal care to 23 people who are living with dementia. There were 23 people living in the home at the time we inspected. The home is an adapted building in a residential area.

People's experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care from kind and caring staff. People were protected from the risk of harm and staff supported them to maintain their safety and wellbeing. People received their medicines as prescribed from staff who had been trained in medicines and had their competencies checked by managers. Relatives told us they felt confident their relations were safe living in the home and praised the friendly and caring attitudes of staff and managers. People's rights were protected and their equality and diversity needs were respected. People's bedrooms were personalised to reflect their tastes and preferences.

People were confident in the management team at the home, and praised how approachable they were. Relatives were similarly pleased with the way the home was managed. People received high-quality person-centred care because the provider and managers had maintained effective oversight of the quality of care practice and records. Staff were committed to providing high-quality care and felt they were supported in their role by managers. Relatives felt they were kept up to date with any matters affecting their relations.

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

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

Rating at the last inspection an update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement. (published 20 January 2022. There was a breach of the regulations. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Sands Meadows on our website at ww.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.