The Towans Care Home

Updated 11 March 2021

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 the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 22 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 11 March 2021

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 16 and 18 August 2017.

The Towans Care Home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 28 older people. At this inspection there were 27 people living at the home. The home has a number of people who wish to live a more independent lifestyle within the safety and security of the care home. The provider offers respite (short stay) care.

The home is an older building; it has two floors with communal spaces such as lounges, conservatory and a dining room on the ground floor. There was a garden which people were able to freely move to. At this inspection two people were sharing a bedroom which was their choice because they were married. Everyone else had their own individual bedroom. People were able to personalise their bedrooms.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

The home now requires improvement to ensure people were safe. There were enough suitable staff to meet people’s needs and to spend some time socialising with them. Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. The provider, registered manager and staff continued to encourage people to remain independent. People received their medicines safely and, where possible, were supported to administer their own medicines. People were protected from abuse because staff understood how to keep them safe and senior staff understood the processes they should followwith regard to reporting concerns. All staff informed us concerns would be followed up if they were raised.

People continued to receive effective care. People who lacked capacity had decisions made in line with current legislation. Staff received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support people. However, some staff required further training and competency checks to observe medicines being administered. People told us and we saw their healthcare needs were met. People received support to eat and drink sufficient amounts.

The home continued to provide a caring service to people. People and their relatives told us, and we observed that staff were kind and patient. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff and their cultural or religious needs were valued. People were involved in decisions about the care and support they received. People’s choices were always respected and staff encouraged choice for those who struggled to communicate with them. People were supported to have a dignified death because their needs and wishes were respected by staff.

The home remained responsive to people’s individual needs. Care and support was personalised to each person which ensured they were able to make choices about their day to day lives. There were individual and group activities daily to provide a range of opportunities. These considered people’s hobbies and interests and reflected people’s preferences. People knew how to complain and there were always a range of opportunities for them to raise concerns with the manager and designated staff.

The home continued to be well led. People, relatives and staff spoke highly about the management. The manager continually monitored the quality of the service and made improvements in accordance with people’s changing needs. When concerns were raised during the inspection the management were proactive in responding to them. The manager was proud of the links they had developed including the use of social media.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.