CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Thornwood Care Limited
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People said they felt safe, and inspectors found suitable risk assessments, safe staffing levels, infection control and recruitment checks. Medicines records were up to date and medicines were stored securely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training and supervision, including training about dementia and people's health needs. People received support with nutrition, health care and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, respect and dignity. Inspectors saw staff listen to people, use their preferred names, explain care and support people's choices and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's preferences and were updated when needs changed. Activities were tailored to people's interests, and the home had a complaints system that recorded investigations and responses.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found open management, clear responsibilities and regular communication with staff, people and relatives. Quality checks were in place, although some audits needed better evaluation of whether improvements had worked.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some quality checks needing further evaluation.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 16 November 2018. Inspectors looked around the home, spoke with people, staff and health professionals, observed care, and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
The home supported up to 16 people with dementia. There were 15 people living there during the inspection. Inspectors found that people felt safe, staff were kind and respectful, and care was based on people's individual needs and preferences.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as at the previous inspection, and inspectors found no serious risks or concerns.
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's needs, preferences and routines. Staff also involved families when people could not explain their preferences themselves.
“Care plans reflected people's assessed level of care needs and care delivery was person specific, holistic and based on people's preferences.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw staff protect privacy, explain what they were doing and encourage people to make choices.
“People told us that staff were kind and caring.” from the report
Activities and involvement
The home offered a range of activities based on people's interests. People, relatives and staff could give feedback through meetings, surveys and discussions.
“These included one to one sessions, exercises, quizzes, craft sessions and musical and film sessions.” from the report
Good partnership working
The home worked with health and social care professionals and recorded advice and changes in people's care.
“They listen, take advice and act on the advice.” from the report
Quality checks needed more evaluation
minorInspectors said some audits identified issues and actions, but the home did not always evaluate whether those actions had produced the intended improvement.
“There were areas of audits that would benefit from further evaluation as to whether actions taken to address an identified issue were beneficial and had worked.” from the report
- 01How do you now check whether actions from your audits have actually improved care?
- 02How are care plans reviewed when a person's needs or preferences change?
- 03What activities are currently available for people with dementia, and how are their interests used to plan them?
- 04How do you involve relatives when a person cannot explain their own care preferences?
- 05How do you make sure advice from health professionals is followed by all staff?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions and the overall rating; the report says the ratings carried over as Good from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 December 2018 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 Thornwood Care Limited
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 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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19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
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 £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
“Una felt safe, secure and loved in her time with Debbie which is a gift that I am eternally grateful for.”
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.