15 June 2022
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Talbot House Care Home is a care home providing personal care for up to 25 people. At the time of our inspection 11 people were living in the home. Since our last inspection the home has changed from a nursing home to a care home. People have access to their own bedroom along with communal spaces including lounges and gardens.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice. Although the system in place to monitor the home had improvements, further improvements were needed to ensure they were more robust.
Although we saw there were enough staff available, both people and staff felt they could benefit from some more. Further details were needed to ‘when required’ protocols to ensure staff had all the information needed.
The home was also tired and dated and some areas were in need of refurbishment.
We saw an improving picture in the home and people felt safe living there. Staff had received training since our last inspection and had the skills and knowledge to support people. Individual risks to people were considered and reviewed. There were systems in place to ensure safeguarding concerns were investigated and reported appropriately.
There were procedures in place to manage infection control and staff ensured all personal protective equipment was worn correctly.
People were supported by health professionals when needed and the advice given was followed by the staff in the home. People enjoyed the food and were offered a choice. When needed they were offered support and received a diet in line with their individual needs.
There was evidence that lessons were learned when things went wrong, there were now more audits taking place and the environment was also monitored. An incident and accident analysis had also been introduced to help drive improvements.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 22 December 2021) and there were breaches of regulations.
The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found the provider remained in breach of regulations.
This service has been in Special Measures since 19 January 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
The overall rating for the service has changed from inadequate to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Talbot House Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection.
We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to Regulation 11 (Need for consent).
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.