Thatcham Court Care Home

Updated 20 December 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

Our inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Thatcham Court Care Home 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

Our inspection was informed by evidence we already held about the service, which included information received about the service since the last inspection. We also checked for feedback we received from members of the public, local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). We contacted health and social care professionals who work with the service. We checked records held by Companies House, the Information Commissioner’s Office, the fire brigade and the Food Standards Agency.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We contacted 70 staff and 70 relatives in writing to request comments and feedback about the service.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who lived at the service and observed four more people’s interactions with staff. We spoke with 16 employees including the regional director, registered manager, resident experience manager, a registered nurse, care workers and other support staff. We received extensive written feedback from 18 more staff, 13 relatives and other health and social care professionals.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment, supervision and performance appraisal. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We received evidence about the social activities programme and management of the service.

Updated 20 December 2019

About the service

Thatcham Court Care Home is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care or nursing care to older adults who may be living with dementia. The care home accommodates 60 people across three separate floors, each of which has separate adapted facilities. One of the floors specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, 60 people received care.

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

The service was exceptionally well-managed. There was a very positive workplace culture, which ensured the care provided was to excellent standards. There was a clear focus on continuous improvement and ensuring people could lead their best life possible. The service used nationally produced best practice guidance to shape the provision of people’s care. In addition, the management team looked for innovative programmes to promote people's lives. The manager ensured audits and checks were completed regularly to ensure the safety and quality of people’s care. Improvements to the service were made based on the feedback of people, relatives, staff and others. There was an excellent link with the local community to promote an inclusive culture.

People received safe care. Any risks to them were assessed, documented and mitigated to protect against avoidable harm. People were protected against abuse, neglect and discrimination. There were enough staff deployed to ensure people were safe. The premises and equipment were well-maintained, clean and tidy. Accidents and incidents were recorded, people received appropriate support afterwards and the service learnt lessons if things went wrong.

Staff were knowledgeable and skilled. They were competently able to provide the support people required. They were provided with frequent training in relevant areas of care specific to the service, which included additional complex skills. There were very good links with community care professionals which ensured people maintained a healthy lifestyle. People received effective support which met their individual needs. A holistic assessment was carried out which included people’s cultural, religious and lifestyle histories. We made recommendations about the staff training in oral hygiene and the publication of food allergens.

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.

We observed people’s support was very caring. Relatives, commissioners and professionals described the service as very caring and staff as kind. Without exception, people were routinely treated with dignity and respect. One person’s feedback stated, “The staff were always caring and did their jobs well, but they now receive the leadership and guidance to help them become the best they can be.”

There were improvements to care planning. People’s care was specifically tailored to their individual needs and life. There was a clear emphasis on supporting people to lead full and active social lives. People were encouraged to enjoy themselves and follow a broad range of activities. All staff were motivated and committed to provide people with personalised experiences that met expectations. Staff valued people's individual differences and responded in line with their preferences for support. People’s diversity was recognised and promoted by the staff. People were supported to follow their faith and culture, and to maintain important family relationships.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 2 June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.