Tremanse House Care Home

Updated 22 July 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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Tremanse House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and we looked at both during this inspection.

Registered manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was not a manager registered with CQC. However, the manager was in the process of registering at the time of this inspection.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service one days’ notice of the inspection. This was because some people left the service during the day and we needed to be sure that appropriate staff would be available to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We also reviewed information that we held about the service such as notifications. We used information sent to us by the provider in their PIR. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We reviewed 3 people's care plans and risk assessments. We reviewed staff training and supervision. We also reviewed other records relating to the management of the service. Most people were out and about enjoying the lovely weather. We spoke with 3 people who lived at Tremanse, 4 staff, the manager and the deputy. We contacted five healthcare professionals by email but received no response.

Updated 22 July 2023

About the service

Tremanse House Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 23 people with mental health needs. The service provides support to older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people using the service. The service was made up of two buildings. The main house, where people were offered additional support, and the annexe, where people required less support and were preparing to move out to live independently.

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

Tremanse was fully staffed. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. Staff were happy and told us they were well supported by the management team.

Recruitment processes were effective. However, we have made a recommendation in the safe section of this report regarding ensuring that start and end dates of previous employment were recorded and checked against their references. New staff were provided with induction and support prior to working alone with people.

There was a robust audit programme in place to help identify any areas of the service that may require improvement. The manager, deputy manager and the provider had effective oversight of the service, with the exception of staff training which was not accessible, via the electronic system, at the time of this inspection. Staff had attended a variety of training however we were unable to evidence when updates may be due. We have made a recommendation about this in the effective section of this report.

People received their medicines as prescribed. An electronic medicines management system was being used by staff. Regular audits were taking place.

We toured the premises and found the service to be clean and decorated to a good standard. People were involved in decisions to change furniture or décor.

The provider had effective safeguarding systems in place and staff knew what actions to take to help ensure people were protected from harm or abuse.

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 worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and respected people’s decisions. Guidance in care plans helped staff to help build independence wherever possible. Some people were being supported to live independently with a view to leaving the service to live with minimal support.

Identified risks were assessed and monitored. Care plans contained guidance and direction for staff on how to support people well. Some people smoked cigarettes inside the service. The risks associated with this had been identified and assessed and steps were being taken to reduce potential risks further.

Food was cooked on the premises and was well received by people and staff. Some people worked alongside the cook when preparing meals. Staff were able to enjoy a meal when on shift.

People were free to come and go from the service as they wished. People were happy living at Tremanse and were positive about the staff and management.

People and staff had regular meetings with management, at which information was shared and the management team could seek their views.

The manager understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour. Notifications were sent to CQC appropriately.

The manager and staff worked closely with local health and social care professionals to support people’s needs.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was good (14 June 2019).

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.

Follow up

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