Archived: Sir Jules Thorn Court

We looked at four care plans; we saw evidence that consent of care forms had been signed by people using the service or their next of kin. We saw that mental capacity assessments had been carried out for people using the service. We saw evidence that some people at the home had access to an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA).

We saw that people were supported to eat and were given a choice of meals for lunch. Staff were aware of the dietary requirements of people living at the home. The food in the fridge was clearly labelled with the date it was opened or prepared and when it was to be used by.

We noted that there was a strong odour at the home. Relatives of people using the service told us that "sometimes the smell is unbearable". We also noted that the lighting throughout the home was very dim.

There were not enough bathing facilities for people at the home. There were no bath facilities in the basement. One staff told us "I don't think there are enough showers for people". One person using the service told us "I would like a shower once a week but it doesn't happen".

There was lack of one to one staff supervision at the home.

People that we spoke with felt there were enough staff members on duty to support their needs. One person told us "there is always someone to help you". Staff told us that they felt they were able to carry out their duties effectively.

We looked at six care plans and did not see any evidence that people had agreed to their care or treatment plan. Although staff had received training in Mental Capacity Act 2005 we saw no evidence of any mental capacity assessments being carried out on people at the home. The manager told us that people were only able to leave the home if they were escorted by a member of staff but we saw no evidence that arrangements to restrict people had been made under the deprivation of liberty safeguards.

We looked at health and safety audits that had been carried out. An internal risk assessment was carried out by the manager of the home and Portable appliance testing (PAT) was also carried out within the past year. The fire alarms were tested weekly and monthly checks were carried out on the water temperatures.