CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Sandon House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that safeguarding, risk assessments, staffing, recruitment, medicines and infection control were managed safely. Accidents and incidents were recorded, analysed and used for learning.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed. Staff had the training and support they needed, people could access health professionals, and their nutritional and communication needs were met.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff knew people well and supported their individuality, independence and involvement in decisions.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised around people's preferences, interests and communication needs. Activities were available in the home and wider community, although some community activities had been reduced during the pandemic and were being reintroduced.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found the home well managed, with detailed audits, good communication and a culture of learning and improvement. People's, relatives' and staff views were sought.
What inspectors found, December 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with strong management and good links to the local community.
Inspectors visited on 31 October and 2 November 2022. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They also observed care and checked care records, medicines, recruitment, training, safety checks and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that risks were managed, medicines were administered safely and there were enough staff. People received support with health care, food, communication and activities.
People described staff as kind and helpful. Inspectors saw relaxed relationships between staff and people. The home had detailed care plans, regular checks and a strong approach to learning from incidents and improving care.
This was the first inspection since the service registered under the current provider. The previous provider's rating was Good, published on 29 March 2018. A Good rating means the inspectors found the service consistently met the standards they checked, although it does not mean that every part of care will always be perfect.
Good safety systems
Risks, accidents and incidents were managed carefully. Inspectors found detailed assessments and records, with lessons used to reduce future risks.
“Risks to people, staff and within the home were well managed. There were detailed person-centred risk assessments and care plans in place.” from the report
Kind relationships
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw natural and relaxed relationships, with people treated as individuals.
“Our observations were of natural, relaxed relationships between staff and people who lived at the home.” from the report
Personalised activities
The home identified people's likes, dislikes and interests and used these to plan activities. This included activities in the wider community.
“People's likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests were actively identified. There was a range of activities within the home and in the wider community that had been developed based on these.” from the report
Strong management
The home had detailed checks and audits. Managers showed a clear commitment to improving care and learning from incidents.
“The home was very well run and managed. The registered manager had a good understanding of what was needed to provide quality care.” from the report
Community activities had been reduced
minorSome activities outside the home had reduced during the pandemic. The home was reintroducing them, so families may want to check what is currently available.
“We saw community activities had been reduced due to the pandemic, but the registered manager, well-being coordinator and staff had found innovative ways of continuing some activities” from the report
- 01Which activities outside the home are currently available, and how often can residents take part?
- 02How has the new falls management system changed care for people at risk of falling?
- 03How are families told about falls, health changes or other incidents affecting their relative?
- 04How is the electronic medicines system checked to make sure medicines are given and recorded correctly?
- 05How often are care plans reviewed with residents and their families?
This was the first comprehensive inspection of the newly registered service and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 December 2022 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Sandon House
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- March 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 27 August 2021.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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Fees, photos and reviews from families
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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Tameside
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 90 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Primrose is a very kind and compassionate healthcare professional”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.