Thornfield Care Home

Updated 30 December 2021

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The service was inspected by one inspector.

Service and service type

Thornfield Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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

The registered manager was given one hour’s notice of the inspection and so that we could check the Covid status of the home.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three care staff, the deputy manager and a health professional who was visiting. We also spoke with the registered manager and provider. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records, including medicines records and we pathway tracked one person’s care. This is where we check that people have received all the care they required to meet all of their needs. We looked at two staff recruitment, supervision and training records, and a variety of records in relation to the management of the service, including policies, procedures and health and safety.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found and received feedback from three health professionals who support the service.

Updated 30 December 2021

About the service

Thornfield Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to people aged 65 and over, some of whom are living with dementia and mental health needs. The service can support up to 17 people. 17 people were living at the home at the time of the inspection. The home is owned by Mr M and Mrs S Poordil who are referred to throughout as the provider. Mrs S Poordil is also the registered manager for the service.

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

People and their relatives told us they felt safe living at Thornfield Care Home. There were always plenty of staff around who responded quickly to requests for help. Staff had received training in safeguarding people from harm and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse. Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at the service to make sure only suitable staff were employed. Environmental risks were assessed, and measures were in place to reduce and manage these risks. Staff knew people well and how to identify, assess and mitigate any risks to their safety. Medicines were managed safely and effectively by staff who were trained and competent to do so.

Staff received frequent training, support and supervision and felt supported by the management team. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Staff were aware of people's likes and dislikes and any allergies and special diets. People were supported to maintain their independence and have choice and control in their lives. Where people lacked mental capacity to make decisions, these were made in line with the Mental Capacity Act and staff supported people in the least restrictive way.

People were treated with respect, dignity, kindness and compassion. We observed, and people and relatives told us, that the staff were kind, helpful and friendly. People and their relatives felt involved in reviews and decisions about their care.

There was an open and positive culture within the home and people and their relatives told us the management team was approachable and helpful. There were robust management arrangements in place and systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided.

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 in March 2020.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.