Hawthorne Court Nursing Home

Updated 1 May 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector accompanied by an assistant inspector, a Specialist Advisor and an Expert by Experience. The Specialist Advisor had clinical and practical experience and knowledge of best practice relating to the care of older people and those living with dementia. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Hawthorne Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eleven people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with a number of staff including the registered manager, two deputy managers, registered nurses and assistant practitioners, care assistants and administrative staff. We also spoke with a visiting GP.

We reviewed a range of records. This included nine people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at staff records in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

After the inspection

We received feedback from two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 1 May 2020

About the service

Hawthorne Court Nursing Home is a care home which currently provides personal and nursing care to 75 people aged 65 and over. The service can support up to 80 people, including people admitted for short stay and reablement and those living with dementia.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People felt safe. Staff had received training in safeguarding and understood the actions they needed to take if they identified any concerns. Systems were in place to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines. Medicines were administered by staff who had received appropriate training and assessments. Infection prevention and control procedures were in place and a range of audits were carried out by senior staff.

A range of healthcare professionals, including community nursing and mental health teams, were involved in people’s care when necessary. People received personalised care in line with their assessed needs and their care plans. Risks were assessed and actions taken to minimise these while promoting independence as far as possible.

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 were supported by staff who had received a thorough induction into the home and appropriate training, professional development and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and staff listened to what people said. People were confident they could raise concerns or complaints and that these would be dealt with. People and their families or other representatives were involved in discussions about their care planning. The provider sought feedback through the use of questionnaires and surveys.

The provider and registered manager promoted an open and inclusive culture within the service, and governance systems were focused on safety and quality improvement. There was a strong person-centred ethos which reflected the provider’s values. The provider had a programme of ongoing investment to improve the environment. This included investing in technology and systems to improve both the environment and people’s experiences of care.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 1 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.