The Sandford Nursing and Residential Home provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 35 older people, some of whom have dementia. At the time of our inspection, 32 people were living at the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

People still felt safe living at the home. Staff knew how to recognise, respond to and report abuse. The risks to people had been assessed and reviewed with them, and plans put in place to manage these. Appropriate staffing levels at the home ensured people's needs could be met safely. The provider had developed systems and procedures designed to ensure people received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

People had confidence in the staff team’s knowledge and skills. Staff received the training and ongoing support needed to perform their job roles effectively. The management team and staff understood and protected people's rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People had enough to eat and drink, and their individual dietary and nutritional needs were assessed and addressed. Staff helped people to access a range of healthcare services in order to maintain their health.

Staff adopted a caring and compassionate approach towards their work, and took the time to get to know people well. People's participation in care planning and decision-making was encouraged and facilitated. People's rights to privacy and dignity were recognised and promoted by staff.

People received care and support tailored to their individual needs and requirements. People had the support they needed to pursue their interests and spend time doing things they found enjoyable. People knew how to raise complaints and concerns about their care, and felt comfortable doing so.

The management team encouraged an open, ongoing dialogue with people, the external professionals involved in their care and the staff team. People had confidence in the management of the service. Staff felt valued, supported and able to request additional guidance and support from the management team. The provider carried out quality assurance activities to assess and improve the quality of the service people received.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Everyone we spoke with who lived in the home was very pleased with the service they received. One person said, “There is no better place than this”. Another person told us, “I’m very happy where I am”.

The staff told us that they always assumed people had the capacity to make decisions for themselves unless there was evidence that they didn’t. We saw that the provider had carried out capacity assessments when appropriate. We also saw evidence that best interest meetings had been held to make decisions on people’s behalf when appropriate.

We saw that care plans were very person centred. The plans contained lots of information to help staff provide good consistent care. We saw that the plans were regularly reviewed and updated. We saw staff treating people with respect and kindness throughout our visit.

We found that medicines were safely stored, handled and administered. Medicine records were accurate and doctors’ instructions were properly acted upon.

Staff told us they had attended a range of training courses to equip them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their duties effectively. The staff also had the opportunity to regularly meet with their manager to review their performance and address any training and development needs.

People told us that they were generally happy in the home. They said that the staff were "kind and helpful" and "very understanding". One person told us that "you couldn't find a better home". We saw that staff were kind and respectful to people.

We found that people had been involved in helping to plan their own care and treatment. People's views were listened to and respected. Care plans were person centred and focussed on helping people retain as much control and independence as possible.

People told us that they felt safe in the home. There was a clear policy to help keep people safe and staff we spoke with understood it.

We found that appropriate checks were properly carried out on staff before they were allowed to start work.

The provider had a complaints policy in place but had not received a formal complaint for more than two years.

This inspection took place on 10 June 2015. The Sandford Nursing Home is registered to provide accommodation for 35 older people who require personal or nursing care. There were 35 people living at the home on the day of our inspection.

A registered manager was in post in the service. 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.’

Staff had attended training on safeguarding people. They had awareness about identifying abuse and how to report it. Recruitment procedures were thorough. Risk management plans were in place to support people to have as much independence as possible while keeping them safe.

Medicines were safely stored, administered and recorded in line with current guidance to ensure people received their prescribed medicines in a safe way. People had regular access to healthcare professionals. A wide choice of food and drinks was available to people that met their nutritional needs and took into account their personal preferences. People enjoyed the food and drinks provided.

People were supported by skilled staff who knew them well and were available in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs effectively. People’s dignity and privacy was respected. Staff were kind and caring. Visitors were welcomed and people were supported to maintain relationships and participate in social activities and outings.

Staff were well trained and used their training effectively to support people. Staff understood and complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were able to demonstrate a good understanding and knowledge of people’s specific support needs, so as to ensure people’s safety and protect their rights.

Care plans were regularly reviewed and showed that the person, or where appropriate their relatives, had been involved. They included people’s preferences and individual needs so that staff had clear information on how to give people the care that they required. People told us that they received the care they needed.

People were able to express their views and were confident that their complaints or concerns were listened to, taken seriously and acted upon.

The service was well led as people knew the manager and found them to be approachable and available in the home. People living and working in the service had opportunity to say how they felt about the home and the service it provided. Their views were listened to and actions were taken in response. The provider and registered manager had robust systems in place to check on the quality and safety of the service provided, to put action plans in place where needed, and to check that these were completed.