Tenterden House Care Home

Updated 9 September 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

This inspection took place on 25 August 2020 and was announced. The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

Updated 9 September 2020

The inspection took place on 17, 18 January 2018, and 5 February 2018 and was unannounced.

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

Tenterden House Care Home is registered to provide accommodation for up to 40 people who require nursing care. At the time of our inspection, 33 people were living at the service.

The service had a registered manager who was also registered with CQC to manage another service within the same grounds as Tenterden House. 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.

When we last inspected the service on 16 January 2016, we found that the provider was meeting the standards assessed at that time. At this inspection, we found that the provider had made significant improvements, which were innovative and created opportunities to improve people’s quality of lives. The service was not only meeting the standards, but regularly exceeded people’s expectations. We found the management of the service was excellent.

People were kept safe by staff who knew how to identify and report risks and help keep people safe.

Staff received appropriate training and had on-going support from managers to understand and carry out their roles effectively.

People had personalised care plans in place with comprehensive guidance and risk assessments for staff to understand how to deliver care and support to people in a safe and effective way.

Medicines were managed safely by staff who were trained and followed best practice guidance when administering people`s medicines.

People were protected from the risk of infections by staff who ensured the environment people lived in was clean and infection control measures were followed.

There were enough staff to meet people`s needs. Recruitment processes were robust and ensured that staff employed were suitable to work in this type service.

People were central to everything that happened at the service and had a real voice.

People and their relatives were involved in planning and reviewing their care and where possible they signed to agree their care plan. People consented to the care and support they received.

People were able to plan their days as they wished and were supported and encouraged by staff to pursue their hobbies and interests. The management and staff regularly went the extra mile to make things happen for people.

People were asked for their feedback about the service they received in regular meetings and surveys so they could positively influence how the home operated and improved.

People and staff told us they were happy with how the home was managed and they felt managers were approachable and listened to them.

The registered manager and the provider carried out regular audits to ensure they were able to check on the quality of the service people received. The registered manager used innovative ways to make improvements and was continually trying new things to see if it improved people’s experiences.