Updated 30 October 2020
The inspection
This was a focussed inspection.
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 inspection was carried out by one inspector. A specialist advisor in Governance and an expert by experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
Thorn Mount 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.
Notice of inspection
We gave 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we wanted to review documentation remotely and also make arrangements to speak with people, relatives and staff by telephone after our site visit. This helped minimise the time we spent in face to face contact with the registered manager, staff and people who used the service.
Inspection activity started on 28 September and ended on 5 October 2020 We visited the service on 28 September 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority, local safeguarding team and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
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.
During the inspection
We spoke by telephone with four people who used the service and six relatives. We spoke face to face with the registered manager and deputy manager and by telephone with four members of staff. We spent time observing the environment and care and support people received. We reviewed three people’s medicines records.
After the inspection
We reviewed a range of records. We reviewed most of the documentation remotely by asking the registered manager to send us key information after our site visit. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits, policies, procedures, staffing and training information.
We continued to seek clarification by telephone from the registered manager to validate evidence found.