St Thomas

Updated 22 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

This inspection was carried out by 3 inspectors.

Service and service type

St Thomas is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. St Thomas 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.

We reviewed information we held about the service and we sought feedback from the local authority and other stakeholders to gain their views. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We reviewed 4 people’s care plans, numerous medicines administration records. We reviewed training records, policies and other records related to the running of the service.

We spoke with 7 people at the service and 2 people’s relatives. We spoke with 10 staff, including the registered manager, deputy manager, operations manager, clinical development nurse and members of the care team, kitchen and maintenance staff. We made observations of staff interactions with people, including during mealtimes and in living areas.

Updated 22 February 2023

About the service

St Thomas is a nursing home providing personal and nursing care for to up to 72 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The service is provided in one adapted building across two floors. There are ensuite bedrooms across the ground and first floors, with shared living areas and access to a garden on the ground floor. At the time of our inspection there were 57 people using the service.

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

People and their relatives told us they felt safe at St Thomas. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed and measures were in place to manage these risks. Medicines were managed safely. We identified some areas where recording could be improved, and immediate action was taken. Incidents and concerns were reported and investigated appropriately, and actions taken in response. There were enough staff to support people safely on our inspection.

People had access to health services to meet their needs, and there was positive feedback from healthcare professionals about their relationship with the home. People had enough to eat and drink, they had choices and were supported with foods which met their needs. The staff team were skilled in supporting people, including people with dementia or communication needs, however at times staff were rushed.

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.

The home had a change in management team since the last inspection, and there was a positive, open and inclusive atmosphere. Staff fed back that they were encouraged to be proactive and that the senior staff and managers were good role models. There was a robust quality assurance process in place, which had identified themes and areas for improvement identified on this inspection. The registered manager had a credible strategy and clear plan for continuing and embedding improvements.

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 requires improvement (published 6 May 2020)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and to review whether the service had made the required improvements since the last inspection. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

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 requires 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 St Thomas 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.