Thornton Lodge Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

The provider had dedicated staff to ensure people were admitted safely and continued to be supported in the service in accordance with national guidance. Infection prevention and control (IPC) policies and procedures were kept under review. We found safe processes were in place and appropriate action had been taken during the outbreak. The local commissioner’s IPC team was providing advice and support to management and staff when required.

The provider was facilitating safe visiting in line with government guidance. A visiting area had been allocated. We observed people continued to use the visiting pod and telephone calls to maintain safe and meaningful contact with their family and friends. Visitor assessments were carried that included temperature checks, lateral flow tests, PPE and sanitisers were readily available. One relative we spoke with said, “They have been excellent during the pandemic, the staff have kept me up to date all the time and looked after me when I have visited.”

During our visit we observed the staff using Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE) safely. The registered manager told us sufficient stocks of PPE were available and we confirmed this on the visit.

People living in the home and staff were tested regularly for COVID-19. There were no staff employed who had not been vaccinated as now required.

The home was clean and hygienic. Cleaning schedules were in place and PPE stations placed around the home in individual rooms. Additional cleaning protocols were in place to ensure all areas of the building were regularly sanitised.

Thornton Lodge Care Home is a care home for people who live with dementia, situated on Trunnah Road in Thornton. The home is registered for 11 people. There is a stair lift to the first floor. Bedrooms are situated on the ground and first floor. Some bedrooms have an en suite facility. Car parking facilities are available at the home. At the time of the inspection visit 11 people lived at the home.

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

Safeguarding procedures were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse by staff who understood and were trained on how to recognise and respond to concerns. Staff continued to be recruited safely and people told us sufficient staff were available and on duty to support people to live an independent life as possible while living with dementia. Medicines were managed safely and administered by trained staff. Infection control systems and audits continued to ensure a clean environment and reduce any risks to people.

The registered manager ensured staff received training that met their needs and supported people who lived at Thornton Lodge Care Home. People were happy with meals and quantity of food provided throughout the day. One person said, “Good food we are blessed with staff who are good cooks.” People received support with their healthcare needs promptly. 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.

People told us how staff were kind, caring and treated them well. One person said, “They are so kind and caring I feel so relaxed and comfortable.” People were treated with respect and they were involved with family members in their care planning. Information about local advocacy services was available, to ensure people could access support to express their views if required.

People's communication needs had been assessed. People were entertained and stimulated by activities provided for them. An activity co ordinator was employed to ensure people were able to follow their interests and hobbies. People knew how they could raise concerns about the service and a complaints procedure was in place.

The owner and registered manager were clear about their roles and provided care which resulted in good outcomes for people. They worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people’s health and social needs were met. The registered manager and owner used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. This ensured the service continued to be monitored and improve.

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

Rating at the last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 30 March 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating

Follow up: The next scheduled inspection will be in keeping with the overall rating. We will continue to monitor information we receive from and about the service. We may inspect sooner if we receive concerning information about the service.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Although a number of people had limited verbal communication and were unable to converse with us, we spoke with four who lived at the home and a relative. People we spoke with told us they were safe and content at Thornton Lodge. One person who lived at the home said, “I do feel relaxed and at home here knowing people are about to help me and keep me well.”

Care records were up to date, informative, and reviewed on a regular basis. Care records of two people we looked at explained risks were identified and reviewed to ensure they were up to date.

Staffing levels were sufficient to provide support people required. We confirmed this by talking with staff and people who lived at the home and by our observations on the day of the inspection visit. For example we observed staff members could undertake tasks supporting people without feeling rushed.

We found staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people who lived with dementia and care for their social and personal care needs. Staff spoken with told us they were well trained and always offered opportunities to develop their skills through training courses.

We found the registered manager had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained. The building was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

We found medication procedures at the home were safe. We observed medication administered to people during the day of the inspection visit. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept with appropriate arrangements for storing in place.

We observed staff assisting people at lunchtime to eat their meals. They were kind, sensitive and patient, engaging with the person they were supporting in conversation. We received only positive comments about the quality of food provided. They included, “Great food always a choice.” A relative said, “Great food [relative] gets what she wants.”

People who lived at the home and relatives told us the owner, staff and the registered manager had a caring and supportive manner. One person who lived at Thornton Lodge said, “They have to wait and be patient with me and they always are, they are so kind the people here.”

The registered manager had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. No complaints had been received. One relative said, “Never had to complain and I come here all the time.”

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits, staff and ‘resident’ meetings to seek their views about the service provided and their opinions to improve the home. Staff told us the management team were ‘very supportive’ and always around to discuss any issues that may occur.

Although some residents had limited verbal communication due to a dementia condition, we did receive positive comments from people about the service. Two of the residents we were able to speak with said, 'I have been feeling low but the staff have really helped me.' Also, 'The trips out are enjoyable and the food is always spot on.'

During our inspection we looked at care records and undertook a tour of the building. Relatives we spoke with about the service told us the home is always clean and never has any offensive odours. They also told us the staff are helpful, polite and know how to support people who have dementia.

We saw lunch being prepared which consisted of fresh ingredients and was home made. One staff member said, 'We try and provide what the residents want there is always a choice.' A resident we spoke with said, 'The food is good and plenty of it.'

Staff told us they felt supported, had regular meetings with their manager, and training was kept up to date.

We contacted the Lancashire contracts monitoring team. They told us they currently had no concerns with the service being provided by the home.