Thorp House

Updated 24 February 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

Consisted of 1 inspector and 1 specialist medicine inspector. Another inspector completed telephone calls to staff.

Service and service type

Thorp House is a ‘nursing home’. People in nursing homes receive accommodation and nursing and or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Thorp House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and deputy manager, 1 nurse and the head of housekeeping. We reviewed 3 people’s care records in detail and reviewed specific areas of 4 other people’s care records, and 14 people’s medicine administration records. We looked at staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures. We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 4 relatives by telephone.

After our inspection visit, we continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. A representative from the provider team attended the inspection and was present when we gave feedback on behalf of the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.We spoke with a nurse, senior carer, a carer and an activity coordinator by telephone. We received email feedback from 1 health care professional.

Updated 24 February 2023

About the service

Thorp House is a nursing home, providing accommodation, personal and nursing care to up to 41 people. The service provides support to people with nursing and residential care needs, as well as people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 39 people using the service.

The service consists of a large extended building set over 2 floors. There were a number of communal areas on each floor and a corridor from the ground floor led to 6 self-contained apartments.

At the time of our inspection, the service was experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, with all people with a positive test result being supported to remain in their bedrooms and receiving individualised care and support to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Some staff were also on sick leave. These circumstances were taken into consideration in the approach taken to completing this inspection.

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

People lived in a visibly clean and comfortable care environment, with sufficient numbers of trained staff to meet their individual needs, wishes and preferences in a person-centred way. People received their medicines as prescribed, and staff supported a number of people living with complex medical care needs, to maintain good standards of health and overall quality of life.

Since our last inspection, improvements had been made to the detail and quality of people’s care records, with evidence of involvement from people and their relatives in the development. People were encouraged to lead active and purposeful lives, with access to activities on a 1:1 and group basis. People were able to make their bedrooms personalised, with their own furniture and possessions of personal importance.

Staff were observed to be kind, caring and respectful towards people, and welcoming when visitors and professionals arrived at the service. Additional safety measures were in place to facilitate visiting during the current COVID-19 outbreak, to prevent the risk of people feeling socially isolated. People were also supported to be part of the local community, enabling people to improve their spiritual and social well-being.

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.

Changes to the registered manager and deputy manager had happened since the last inspection, this had resulted in positive improvements in the level of governance and oversight of the service, to ensure people consistently received good quality, safe care.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement with breaches of the regulations. (Published 15 April 2019).

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of the regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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. As a result, we initially undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, responsive and well-led only. However, after our inspection visit, it was agreed we would also inspect the key question of effective to ensure we could proportionally reflect all areas of improvement found at the service. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from require improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Thorp House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.