CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Tamar House
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, April 2020
Tamar House rated Good overall, with Outstanding caring; inspectors found safe, personalised care and strong leadership.
This was an unannounced inspection on 9 March 2020 by one inspector. The inspector spoke with people living in the home, visitors, staff and visiting professionals. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, accident and complaint records, staff information and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led were rated Good. Caring was rated Outstanding, improving from Good at the previous inspection in August 2017.
People and relatives said they felt safe and were happy with the care. Inspectors saw kind and respectful staff, personalised support, good activities, safe medicines practice and effective management systems.
Exceptionally kind care
Staff were warm, attentive and patient. They responded quickly when people became distressed and used their knowledge of each person to provide reassurance.
“People's needs were met in an individual and personalised way by staff who were exceptionally kind, caring and responsive to their changing needs.” from the report
People's independence
People were encouraged to take part in meaningful roles, activities and community links. The home supported people to express their views and influence their care.
“People were truly respected and valued as individuals and were empowered as partners in the service.” from the report
Safe care
Inspectors found effective safeguarding, risk management, staffing, medicines and infection control arrangements. Staff acted on incidents and sought specialist advice when needed.
“People received their medicines safely and on time.” from the report
Strong leadership
Managers had oversight of the home and staff understood their responsibilities. Audits and feedback were used to monitor quality and support improvements.
“Effective governance systems were in place, ensuring people received consistent care.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you now assess and support people who become distressed or anxious because of dementia?
- 02What activities and community links are currently available, and how are they matched to each person's interests?
- 03How do you make sure staffing levels and staff skills are enough for the people living here now?
- 04How are people's end of life wishes recorded, reviewed and shared with staff and health professionals?
- 05What quality checks are currently carried out for medicines, care plans, infection control and safety?
This was an inspection of the care and premises, covering all five CQC questions; the previous overall rating was Good and Caring improved from Good to Outstanding. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 April 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; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 3 and 4 August 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, a relative, staff and the manager. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files, money records and safety checks.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People told inspectors they felt safe, well cared for and listened to. Staff were described as trained, kind and respectful.
Inspectors found that action had been taken since the previous inspection. The home had improved its reporting of significant incidents, so the Well-led rating rose from Requires Improvement to Good. Inspectors recommended a written policy about managing people's money, although they found the money checked was safely handled.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives praised the staff. Inspectors observed calm, patient and respectful interactions, including support that protected privacy and dignity.
“Everyone had nothing but praise for the staff for their kindness and compassion.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, preferences and detailed wishes. Staff knew people's likes and dislikes and supported everyday choices.
“People's care plans were personalised and contained information to assist staff to provide care and, in a manner that respected people's wishes.” from the report
Safe medicines and staffing
Medicines were given by trained staff, with clear administration records. Inspectors also found enough staff to meet people's needs.
“People received their medicines safely from staff who had completed medicine training.” from the report
Good healthcare support
People's health was monitored and healthcare professionals were involved when needed. A GP held weekly surgeries at the home.
“People had their health monitored to make sure they were seen by healthcare professionals to meet their specific needs as required.” from the report
Improved management
The home had quality checks, sought people's views and acted on feedback. Its Well-led rating improved from Requires Improvement to Good.
“At this inspection we found that action had been taken and improvements had been made.” from the report
No formal money policy
needs fixingInspectors found that people's money was accounted for and kept safely, but there was no written policy explaining how money should be managed or what to do if there was a concern.
“However, we found the provider did not have a policy in place to manage people's funds.” from the report
Risk assessment tools
needs fixingThere was no formal risk assessment tool for choking or behaviour that could challenge others. Staff had assessed these risks in care plans, and work to complete formal assessments began during and after the inspection.
“We found there was not a formal risk assessment tool for people whose behaviour challenges others and choking being used.” from the report
- 01Has the recommended written policy for managing people's money now been completed, and how can families see it?
- 02How are choking risks assessed and reviewed for each person?
- 03How are risks from behaviour that may challenge others recorded and kept up to date?
- 04How will you tell families about any significant incidents and the action taken?
- 05How are people's personalised care plans reviewed when their health or needs change?
This was an unannounced inspection of the home's overall quality, covering all five CQC questions and reviewing care, medicines, money, staffing, records and safety systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 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 Tamar House
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 November 2010.
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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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Plymouth
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
8 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.