CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Thorne House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good, with Outstanding responsiveness; inspectors found safe, kind care and strong support for independence, but some refurbishment was still needed.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 15 October 2019. They spoke with people living at the home, a relative and staff. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines, recruitment records and management checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were all rated Good. Responsive was rated Outstanding. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with dignity and supported to make choices, develop skills and take part in activities and community life.
The home is larger than current best practice guidance for this type of service. Inspectors found that its approach to choice, independence and inclusion reduced the possible impact of its size. Some areas needed refurbishment and redecoration, and the management team was addressing this.
Personalised support
Care plans were detailed and tailored to people's communication, preferences and needs. Staff understood how to support people when they became anxious.
“The provider had continued to ensure people received care and support that was exceptionally personalised, very well planned and particularly responsive to their needs.” from the report
Independence and achievement
People were encouraged to learn new skills, take part in everyday tasks and try new experiences. Some people gained confidence and independence through work, college and activities.
“Staff very successfully promoted people's independence and as a result, some people had become much more independent and had much richer lives.” from the report
Choice and communication
People's views were central to their care. Staff used photographs, pictures and other communication methods to help people understand information and take part in decisions.
“People's individual support plans were very person centred and designed to meet people's communication needs.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough suitable staff and safe recruitment arrangements. Staff were trained and medicines were stored, given and checked safely.
“There were enough suitable, trained staff and the staff we observed were very attentive to people's needs.” from the report
Open management
People, relatives and staff described managers as approachable. Regular audits, surveys and independent checks supported monitoring and improvement.
“We saw a range of audits were completed at regular intervals by the registered manager and staff.” from the report
Refurbishment needed
minorAlthough the home was described as homely, some areas needed refurbishment and redecoration. Work had started or been planned when inspectors visited.
“However, there was a need for some refurbishment and redecoration.” from the report
Learning from incidents
needs fixingThe management team recognised that incident analysis did not always feed clearly into behaviour reduction plans. This was being reviewed to help reduce restraint and future risks.
“The management team were aware there was room to improve how incident analysis fed into people's behaviour reduction plans.” from the report
Information displayed in flats
minorSome information, including dietary preferences, was displayed in people's flats. The management team addressed this immediately after inspectors raised it.
“However, there was some information, such as people's dietary preferences, on display in their flats.” from the report
- 01Which refurbishment and redecoration work identified at the inspection has now been completed?
- 02What restrictive interventions might be used, and how do you make sure they are only used as a last resort?
- 03How are incidents reviewed and how is the learning added to each person's behaviour support plan?
- 04How will you support my relative to build independence, take part in activities and develop friendships or work opportunities?
- 05How will my relative be helped to understand their care plan and express their choices?
This was an unannounced planned inspection that assessed all five CQC questions and the overall quality and safety of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 December 2019 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, April 2017
Rated Good overall, with Outstanding responsiveness; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but some décor and training records needed attention.
Inspectors visited without notice on 3 February 2017 and returned on 6 February to complete the inspection. They spoke with people living in the home, staff and relatives. They also observed care and checked care records, medicines, staffing, the building and quality checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive. Inspectors found enough trained staff, good safeguarding and medicines arrangements, person-centred care plans, positive relationships and strong support for people's independence.
The home helped people take part in activities they chose and build confidence and skills. Inspectors also noted that some areas of the environment and décor needed attention, and that the training matrix did not show all core training clearly.
Supporting independence
Staff helped people build confidence, learn skills and live richer lives. Some people became much more independent and took part in their local community.
“The service was outstandingly responsive and celebrated people's achievements in a way that helped people to grow in confidence, maturity and skills.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans were tailored to each person and included their preferences, communication needs, routines, goals and interests. Pictures and easy-read formats helped people understand their plans.
“The plans were very person centred. They focussed on people's strengths and interests and it was clear that people were involved in their care planning in the way that they chose to be.” from the report
Caring relationships
Inspectors saw calm and respectful support. Staff understood people's needs and encouraged choice and independence.
“The staff we saw supporting people were supportive, caring and compassionate.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
There were enough staff to meet people's needs, with recruitment checks and staff training in place. Medicines were stored securely and records were accurately completed.
“There were enough staff with the right skills, knowledge and experience to meet people's needs.” from the report
Strong oversight
The home used regular checks covering areas such as care planning, accidents, nutrition, fire safety and complaints. Feedback from people and relatives was included.
“There were very comprehensive and effective quality assurance systems, and these took account of the views of people who used the service and their relatives.” from the report
Décor and refurbishment
minorAlthough the apartments were homely, some parts of the environment and décor needed attention. Management had plans for redesign and refurbishment, but this was taking longer than expected.
“Although the apartments were homely, in some places the environment and décor was in need of attention and refurbishment.” from the report
Training records
needs fixingThe training matrix did not show all the core training staff should undertake. Management said reminders were issued and planned to improve the format of the matrix.
“However, the matrix we saw did not reflect all of the core training staff should undertake.” from the report
- 01What refurbishment or repair work has been completed since the inspection, and what work is still planned?
- 02How do you check that every staff member has completed all required core training?
- 03How would you support my relative to build independence and take part in activities they choose?
- 04How are my relative's communication needs, preferences and goals recorded and reviewed?
- 05How will relatives be kept informed about my relative's progress and any concerns?
This was an unannounced inspection over two days that assessed all five quality areas and included observations, discussions with people, staff and relatives, and checks of records and the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 April 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 Thorne House
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- April 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- September 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 May 2014.
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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92 live-in carers within about an hour of Doncaster
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.
Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 77 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“I can honestly say without Petros I don't believe he would have lived an extra 2 years”
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.