Thornton Lodge is a care home specialising in Dementia, situated on Trunnah Road in Thornton, near Blackpool. The home is registered for 11 people. The service is situated close to a bus route into Blackpool and Cleveleys and there are local shops within walking distance from the home. There is a stair lift up 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 last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Although a number of people had limited verbal communication and were unable to converse with us, we spoke with four who lived at the home and a relative. People we spoke with told us they were safe and content at Thornton Lodge. One person who lived at the home said, “I do feel relaxed and at home here knowing people are about to help me and keep me well.”

Care records were up to date, informative, and reviewed on a regular basis. Care records of two people we looked at explained risks were identified and reviewed to ensure they were up to date.

Staffing levels were sufficient to provide support people required. We confirmed this by talking with staff and people who lived at the home and by our observations on the day of the inspection visit. For example we observed staff members could undertake tasks supporting people without feeling rushed.

We found staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people who lived with dementia and care for their social and personal care needs. Staff spoken with told us they were well trained and always offered opportunities to develop their skills through training courses.

We found the registered manager had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained. The building was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

We found medication procedures at the home were safe. We observed medication administered to people during the day of the inspection visit. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept with appropriate arrangements for storing in place.

We observed staff assisting people at lunchtime to eat their meals. They were kind, sensitive and patient, engaging with the person they were supporting in conversation. We received only positive comments about the quality of food provided. They included, “Great food always a choice.” A relative said, “Great food [relative] gets what she wants.”

People who lived at the home and relatives told us the owner, staff and the registered manager had a caring and supportive manner. One person who lived at Thornton Lodge said, “They have to wait and be patient with me and they always are, they are so kind the people here.”

The registered manager had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. No complaints had been received. One relative said, “Never had to complain and I come here all the time.”

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits, staff and ‘resident’ meetings to seek their views about the service provided and their opinions to improve the home. Staff told us the management team were ‘very supportive’ and always around to discuss any issues that may occur.

The inspection visit took place on the 22nd April 2015 and was unannounced.

Thornton Lodge is a care home for people living with dementia, situated on Trunnah Road in Thornton, near Blackpool. The home is registered for 11 people. The service is situated close to a bus route into Blackpool and Cleveleys and there are local shops within walking distance from the home. At the time of the inspection there were 11 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At the last inspection on the 7th May 2013 the service was meeting the requirements of the regulations that were inspected at that time.

People who lived at the home and relatives told us they felt safe and secure living in a small home with staff to support them. We found people’s care and support needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. Care records we looked at contained details of people’s preferences, interests, likes and dislikes. Relatives we spoke with told us they had been consulted about their relative’s care and were informed of any changes that occurred.

Care records were up to date, informative, and reviewed on a regular basis. Care records of people who lived at the home demonstrated peoples risks were identified and reviewed to ensure they were up to date. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs. One staff member said, “It is only a small home so we get to know people very well and spot any issues early.”

We observed staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and staff we spoke with were happy with the amount of staff available to support people. The registered manager had safeguarded people against unsuitable staff by following their recruitment policy and all checks were in place before staff started work.

Medication was administered and stored safely. At the time of the inspection no controlled drugs were being administered. However we noted systems and facilities were in place should they have to.

Training was an ongoing programme for staff members and staff we spoke with told us access to training courses was good. Staff told us they received regular supervision and appraisal to support them to carry out their roles and responsibilities and discuss training and any issues and their own personal development.

We observed staff assisting people at lunchtime to eat their meals. They were kind and patient, engaging with the person they were attending to in conversation and making the lunchtime meal a pleasant and relaxing time. Comments about the quality of food were good. One person who lived at the home said, “The food is good, hot and tasty.”

People who lived at the home were encouraged and supported to maintain relationships with their friends and family members. Relatives we spoke with told us they were always made welcome at any time.

The care plans we looked at were centred on people’s personal needs and wishes. Daily events that were important to people were detailed, so that staff could provide care to meet their needs and wishes. People we spoke with were confident that their care was provided in the way they wanted.

Staff were seen to organise meaningful activities designed to stimulate people living with dementia. For example in the afternoon staff and people who lived at the home were all playing with tambourines. They seemed to enjoy the sessions and we observed everybody joined in. One person said, “I enjoy the music playing.”

We found a number of audits were in place to monitor quality assurance. Records demonstrated identified issues were acted upon in order to make improvements. The registered manager and provider had systems in place to obtain the views of people who lived at the home and their relatives.

The inspection visit took place on the 22nd April 2015 and was unannounced.

Thornton Lodge is a care home for people living with dementia, situated on Trunnah Road in Thornton, near Blackpool. The home is registered for 11 people. The service is situated close to a bus route into Blackpool and Cleveleys and there are local shops within walking distance from the home. At the time of the inspection there were 11 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At the last inspection on the 7th May 2013 the service was meeting the requirements of the regulations that were inspected at that time.

People who lived at the home and relatives told us they felt safe and secure living in a small home with staff to support them. We found people’s care and support needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. Care records we looked at contained details of people’s preferences, interests, likes and dislikes. Relatives we spoke with told us they had been consulted about their relative’s care and were informed of any changes that occurred.

Care records were up to date, informative, and reviewed on a regular basis. Care records of people who lived at the home demonstrated peoples risks were identified and reviewed to ensure they were up to date. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs. One staff member said, “It is only a small home so we get to know people very well and spot any issues early.”

We observed staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and staff we spoke with were happy with the amount of staff available to support people. The registered manager had safeguarded people against unsuitable staff by following their recruitment policy and all checks were in place before staff started work.

Medication was administered and stored safely. At the time of the inspection no controlled drugs were being administered. However we noted systems and facilities were in place should they have to.

Training was an ongoing programme for staff members and staff we spoke with told us access to training courses was good. Staff told us they received regular supervision and appraisal to support them to carry out their roles and responsibilities and discuss training and any issues and their own personal development.

We observed staff assisting people at lunchtime to eat their meals. They were kind and patient, engaging with the person they were attending to in conversation and making the lunchtime meal a pleasant and relaxing time. Comments about the quality of food were good. One person who lived at the home said, “The food is good, hot and tasty.”

People who lived at the home were encouraged and supported to maintain relationships with their friends and family members. Relatives we spoke with told us they were always made welcome at any time.

The care plans we looked at were centred on people’s personal needs and wishes. Daily events that were important to people were detailed, so that staff could provide care to meet their needs and wishes. People we spoke with were confident that their care was provided in the way they wanted.

Staff were seen to organise meaningful activities designed to stimulate people living with dementia. For example in the afternoon staff and people who lived at the home were all playing with tambourines. They seemed to enjoy the sessions and we observed everybody joined in. One person said, “I enjoy the music playing.”

We found a number of audits were in place to monitor quality assurance. Records demonstrated identified issues were acted upon in order to make improvements. The registered manager and provider had systems in place to obtain the views of people who lived at the home and their relatives.

We spoke with a range of people about the home. They included the senior carer in charge at the time of our visit, staff, relatives and people who lived at the home. We also had responses from external agencies including social services .This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced living at Thornton Lodge Care Home.

Although some residents had limited verbal communication due to a dementia condition, we did receive positive comments from people about the service. Two of the residents we were able to speak with said, “I have been feeling low but the staff have really helped me.” Also, “The trips out are enjoyable and the food is always spot on.”

During our inspection we looked at care records and undertook a tour of the building. Relatives we spoke with about the service told us the home is always clean and never has any offensive odours. They also told us the staff are helpful, polite and know how to support people who have dementia.

We saw lunch being prepared which consisted of fresh ingredients and was home made. One staff member said, “We try and provide what the residents want there is always a choice.” A resident we spoke with said, “The food is good and plenty of it.”

Staff told us they felt supported, had regular meetings with their manager, and training was kept up to date.

We contacted the Lancashire contracts monitoring team. They told us they currently had no concerns with the service being provided by the home.

We spoke with the manager, staff, people living at the home, relatives visiting, and received comments from other professional agencies such as social services in order to gain a balanced overview of what people experience.

Although we found difficulty talking with most people who live at the home due to their dementia condition, observations and comments we did receive were all positive. They included, "The staff are wonderful." Also,"Caring, polite people all of them." We also received positive comments from staff and relatives, "My wife is in the best place. They know how to look after people with dementia." And from staff, "I have been here a few years and really enjoy the place." Another staff member said, "We work well as a team and are supported by the owners."

We spoke with staff members individually and they talked about respecting people who live at the home and treating them with dignity. One staff member said, "The training for us in dementia has been very good. It makes me aware of the difficulties for people with the condition. Understanding and patience is very important." Relatives visiting the home were spoken to and only said good things about how family members were treated. One said, "The staff are highly skilled I can see that because I visit my wife daily and they are excellent with her."

Staff spoken with knew about individual care needs of people, because this is a small home they could identify if anyone had issues or problems. One staff member said, "We have a keyworker system and are responsible for certain residents. However the few people who live here are well known to all of us, we can spot if anyone has a problem."

We spoke to Lancashire county council contracts monitoring department and they have no issues or concerns with the service. One officer told us they only hear good things about the home.