Sandrock House

What families say

Families describe walking into an atmosphere that feels relaxed and welcoming rather than clinical or institutional. There's a sense that residents are genuinely comfortable here, with staff who take time to chat and connect rather than just rushing through care tasks.

Based on 12 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth82
• Compassion & dignity85
• Cleanliness72
• Activities & engagement72
• Food quality68
• Healthcare78
• Management & leadership74
• Resident happiness75

What inspectors found

Inspected 2017-12-06 · Report published 2017-12-06 · Inspected 1 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the September 2017 inspection. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied that risks were identified and managed, medicines were handled appropriately, and staffing was sufficient to keep people safe. The published summary does not provide specific detail on staffing numbers, night cover, or agency staff use. No concerns were recorded in relation to safety at the time of inspection.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating is a solid baseline, but it tells you less than it might appear to, particularly because the inspection is now over seven years old. Our Good Practice evidence base, drawn from 61 studies, highlights that night staffing is the area where safety most commonly slips in care homes, and that reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency that people with dementia need. Neither of these is addressed in the published summary. When you visit, ask specifically how many permanent staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and how often the home uses agency cover. The answer will tell you more than the rating alone.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing levels and agency staff reliance are two of the strongest predictors of safety risk in care homes. A Good Safe rating at inspection does not guarantee these are currently well managed.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not a template. Count how many permanent staff names appear on night shifts, and ask directly how many nights in the last month were covered by agency staff."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Outstanding at the September 2017 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and requires inspectors to have found specific, demonstrable evidence of excellence rather than simple compliance. An Outstanding Effective rating typically reflects detailed, person-centred care planning, regular and responsive healthcare access, strong dementia training, and good nutritional care. The published summary does not reproduce the specific findings that led to this rating, so the precise detail is not available here.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Outstanding Effective is a genuinely meaningful rating for a dementia care home. Our Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated as your parent's needs change, not filed and forgotten. An Outstanding rating suggests inspectors found evidence of this in practice in 2017. The evidence base also highlights that dementia-specific training, including understanding non-verbal communication and behavioural responses, is critical for good care. Ask the home what dementia training staff have completed since 2017, and how recently care plans are reviewed. Food quality is also part of this domain; 20.9% of positive family reviews across our dataset specifically mention mealtimes, so ask to stay for lunch on your visit.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that care plans function best as actively maintained, family-inclusive documents updated at meaningful intervals, not at fixed administrative intervals. Homes rated Outstanding in Effective tend to involve families in care plan reviews rather than simply informing them of changes.","watch_out":"Ask to see a redacted example of a care plan, or ask the manager to walk you through how care plans are updated when someone's condition changes. Specifically ask when care plans were last reviewed and whether family members are invited to take part in those reviews."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Outstanding at the September 2017 inspection. This rating requires inspectors to have directly observed staff treating people with genuine warmth, respect, and dignity, and to have gathered testimony from residents and relatives confirming this experience. Outstanding Caring is the rating families most consistently respond to in our review data, and it requires more than good intentions: inspectors must have seen it in practice. The specific observations and quotes from this inspection are not reproduced in the published summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review dataset, appearing in 57.3% of positive reviews by name, and compassion and dignity account for a further 55.2%. An Outstanding Caring rating is directly aligned with what families tell us matters most. What inspectors would have observed in 2017, staff using preferred names, moving without hurry, responding to distress with patience, is exactly what you should look for when you visit. Walk through the corridors at an unannounced time if possible. Watch how staff speak to the people who live there when they think no one important is watching. That is the most reliable signal of genuine caring culture.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base confirms that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal communication for people with advanced dementia. Staff who are trained to read and respond to facial expressions, body language, and behavioural cues provide meaningfully better care, and this is observable on a visit.","watch_out":"When you visit, notice whether staff use your parent's preferred name (you can tell them the name in advance and see if it is used). Watch whether staff make eye contact and crouch to eye level when speaking to someone seated. These small behaviours are the most reliable indicators of genuine caring culture."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the September 2017 inspection. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied that the home responded to individual needs and preferences, offered meaningful activities, and handled complaints appropriately. The published summary does not provide specific detail on the activity programme, one-to-one engagement for people with advanced dementia, or how individual preferences were recorded and acted upon. No concerns were raised in this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Responsive rating covers activities and individual engagement, which accounts for 21.4% of positive family reviews in our dataset, and resident happiness, which accounts for 27.1%. The rating is positive but the published summary gives no detail about what activities actually take place, whether there is one-to-one engagement for people who cannot join group sessions, or whether the home uses approaches like Montessori-based activities or familiar household tasks that Good Practice evidence shows are particularly effective for people with dementia. These are genuinely important questions to ask, especially if your parent is in the later stages of dementia and group activities may not be accessible to them.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that tailored individual activities, including familiar household tasks, music linked to personal history, and sensory activities, are more effective for people with advanced dementia than group programmes alone. Ask specifically what happens for someone who cannot join a group session.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to show you last week's actual activity log, not a planned schedule. Ask specifically what was offered to people who did not or could not attend group sessions. If you cannot get a specific answer, that is itself important information."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the September 2017 inspection. Mrs Michele Thompson was named as the registered manager at the time of inspection. A Good Well-led rating means inspectors were satisfied that the home had a clear management structure, governance processes, and a culture that supported staff to do their jobs well. The published summary does not confirm whether Mrs Thompson remains in post, and leadership continuity is one of the strongest predictors of ongoing quality in care homes.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management stability matters greatly. Our Good Practice evidence base identifies leadership continuity as one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time. A home with a long-serving, visible manager tends to maintain quality more consistently than one with frequent leadership changes. The inspection finding is from 2017, so your first question on a visit should be whether the same manager is still in post and, if not, how long the current manager has been there. Communication with families accounts for 11.5% of positive reviews in our dataset; ask how the home would contact you if your parent had a fall, a health change, or a difficult day.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that management stability, including low turnover among senior staff and a culture where frontline staff feel able to raise concerns, is one of the most reliable predictors of sustained care quality between inspections.","watch_out":"Ask directly: is Mrs Michele Thompson still the registered manager? If not, ask how long the current manager has been in post and whether there have been any other senior staff changes in the past two years. Then ask how the home would contact you if something happened to your parent overnight."}

  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

What the evidence base says

Against the DCC Good Practice in Dementia Care standards, this home’s evidence aligns most strongly on The home specialises in caring for adults over 65, including those living with dementia. They also offer respite stays for families needing temporary support.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the staff focus on maintaining dignity and connection. The team understands that each person's experience of dementia is different, adapting their approach to provide reassurance and comfort in ways that work for each individual. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.