The Thorns Retirement Home

Updated 23 March 2021

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.

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

This inspection took place on 25 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 23 March 2021

About the service

The Thorns Retirement home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to older people. The service can support up to 15 people. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support to 11 people. The Thorns Retirement Home is an adapted building which has been extended. It has one communal living area, a dining area, a conservatory and an unsecured garden. Accommodation is based over two floors and there is a passenger lift in between floors for people with mobility needs.

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

People and relatives told us safety was considered and promoted. One person said, “Of course I feel safe, it is a very safe environment.” The provider was aware of the need to monitor and address risk in a timely manner. People and relatives told us they were happy with staffing arrangements at the home. Staff were aware of the importance of keeping people safe and responding to the risk of abuse. Medicines were managed safely. However, we found documentation relating to medicines was not always consistently maintained in line with good practice we have made a recommendation about this.

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. Staff had received training to enable them to understand the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People’s health needs were monitored and addressed and there was evidence of working closely with other health and social care professionals. Everyone we spoke with agreed the staff had the appropriate skills and training required. People told us they were happy with the quality of the food provided. One person said, “They [the meals] are very good and they are not mean with the food.”

People and relatives told us there was an emphasis on providing person centred care within the home. Activities had been developed in line with people’s expressed wishes and there was great emphasis on providing varied and interesting activities to promote health and well-being. Staff had been trained to support people at the end of their lives. People and relatives praised the responsiveness of the management team and their commitment to listening and responding to feedback.

Care and support was flexible and tailored to people’s needs. People were able to have control over their preferred routines. Relatives told us they were always welcomed at the home People and relatives repeatedly told us staff were kind and caring. Observations made during the inspection confirmed this.

People, relatives, staff and health professionals repeatedly told us the service was well-led. They praised the skills and approachability of the registered manager. We saw evidence of multi-disciplinary working to ensure care was delivered in line with good practice. The registered manager was aware of their role and responsibilities and the importance of continuous improvement.

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 14 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned and scheduled inspection.

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.

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