CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Hawthorne Court Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe. Inspectors found appropriate safeguarding, risk assessment, medicines, infection control, recruitment and incident-monitoring systems. Some staff reported a high use of agency staff, although the home was working to reduce this.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had assessments and personalised care plans, and staff received induction, training and supervision. Inspectors found support with food, drink and healthcare, as well as appropriate attention to consent and best-interest decisions.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well and treated them with kindness, dignity and respect. People’s choices about their care, privacy and independence were recorded and followed.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised, regularly reviewed and improved since the last inspection. People and relatives were involved in care planning, and the home offered activities and support for communication, relationships and end of life care.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found an open and inclusive culture, clear accountability and regular audits. The home used feedback, incidents and clinical discussions to identify improvements.
What inspectors found, May 2020
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some agency staffing and activity staff vacancies being managed.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 20 and 22 January 2020. Inspectors spoke with 11 people, two relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment and training files, and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People told inspectors they felt safe, received the support they needed and were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
Care plans had improved since the previous inspection, especially around mental health and dementia. Inspectors found regular reviews, good communication between staff and outside health professionals, and systems to monitor medicines, risks, incidents and quality.
Safe medicines systems
Medicines were stored, administered and checked safely. Staff who gave medicines had training and competency assessments.
“People's medicines were managed so that they received them safely.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included people’s backgrounds, interests, spiritual needs and communication preferences. Staff used this information to provide individual support.
“People had person centred care plans that detailed the care and support people needed.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff reassuring people, respecting their choices and supporting their dignity and independence.
“People confirmed staff respected their privacy and protected their dignity.” from the report
Improvement since the last inspection
The Responsive rating improved from Requires Improvement to Good. Care plans had more detail about people’s needs and how staff should support them.
“At this inspection we found improvements had been made.” from the report
Use of agency staff
minorSome staff reported that the home was using a high number of agency staff. The manager said recruitment was under way to reduce this.
“Some staff mentioned there was currently a high use of agency staff.” from the report
Activity staff vacancies
minorThree activity staff had left. The activity co-ordinator was being supported by care staff and volunteers while recruitment took place.
“Three other activities staff had left and, while these posts were being recruited to, the activity co-ordinator was supported by care staff and volunteers.” from the report
- 01How many agency staff are currently working here, and what is being done to reduce their use?
- 02How will activities be provided while the vacant activity staff posts are being recruited to?
- 03How will you make sure new or agency staff understand each person’s care plan and moving and handling needs?
- 04How are families involved in reviewing care plans and decisions about end of life care?
- 05How do you use feedback from residents and relatives to check that food and staffing improvements have been maintained?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five key questions; the Responsive rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection and the other ratings remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 May 2020 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, August 2017
Rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind care, but responsive care requires improvement.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 7 and 9 June 2017. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They also observed care and checked care records, medicines, staffing, training, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Good for safe, effective and caring care, and for being well-led. People felt safe. Inspectors found enough staff, suitable medicines arrangements, good training, respectful relationships and support from health professionals.
Responsive care was rated Requires Improvement. Care plans were generally personal and had improved since the previous inspection, but some did not give enough detail about mental health and dementia needs. The overall rating stayed Good, as it had been at the previous inspection.
Staffing and safety
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Recruitment checks were also in place, including checks for agency staff.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs and recruiting practices ensured that all appropriate checks had been completed.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff were observed treating people with patience, warmth, dignity and respect. They supported privacy and encouraged independence.
“whenever we saw staff interacting with people it was with patience and warmth.” from the report
Food and health support
People were supported to eat and drink, with staff taking account of dietary needs and risks. Health professionals were involved when necessary.
“There were sufficient staff to help with assisting people to eat and there was an effective use of teamwork” from the report
Activities and personal interests
The home offered varied activities and adapted them for people's changing needs. Inspectors saw people taking part in an engaging activity.
“The home had one full time and three part time activities staff and there was a varied programme of activities.” from the report
Open management
The manager promoted an open culture. Staff, people living in the home and relatives had opportunities to give feedback.
“The registered manager was promoting an open and inclusive culture within the service.” from the report
Dementia and mental health care plans
needs fixingSome care plans did not explain clearly how mental health or dementia affected the person, what might trigger distress or how staff should respond. This could make it harder for unfamiliar or agency staff to provide consistent support.
“Some lacked detail about the issues presenting, how they were managed and the best way to support the person, particularly with regard to mental health and dementia.” from the report
- 01Have the mental health and dementia care plans been updated since this inspection?
- 02How do you record a person's triggers, signs of distress and preferred ways of being supported?
- 03How are agency staff given enough information to support people with complex dementia or mental health needs?
- 04What progress has been made with the new positive behaviour support training?
- 05How are activities planned for people who get up later or prefer activities in their rooms?
This was an unannounced inspection of all five key questions, covering care, records, medicines, staffing, complaints and quality monitoring. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 August 2017 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Hawthorne Court Nursing Home
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Hawthorne Court Nursing Home →
- August 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Hawthorne Court Nursing Home →
- November 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 January 2011.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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