Thornton Lodge Care Home

Updated 16 February 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service .

This inspection took place on 04 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 16 February 2022

About The service

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.