• Care Home
  • Care home

Portobello Place

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Chartridge Lane, Chesham, HP5 2SH (01494) 937200

Provided and run by:
Berkley Care (Portobello Place) Limited

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 22 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. 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

Portobello Place is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Portobello Place is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We looked at notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 7 relatives. Some people living in the home could not verbally give us feedback. As such we looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We received feedback from 4 healthcare professionals. We looked at 9 people's care records and 7 medicine administration records (MAR). We spoke with the head of Quality and Risk, registered manager, deputy manager and 11 members of staff including carers, the chef, kitchen staff, domestic staff, maintenance person and personal trainer.

We reviewed a range of records relating to people's care and the way the service was managed. These included staff training records, 6 staff recruitment files, quality assurance audits, incidents and accidents reports, complaints records, and records relating to the management of the service.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 22 March 2023

About the service

Portobello Place is a purpose-built residential care home providing personal and nursing care for to up to 61 people across 3 separate adapted floors. At the time of our inspection there were 44 people living at the service.

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

Staff at Portobello Place focused on providing person-centred care and support and achieved exceptional results. Staff took time to understand people’s individual needs and used that to improve their care and outcomes. We saw many examples of how people’s quality of life and wellbeing had significantly improved.

People told us they felt safe living at Portobello Place. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider continued to recruit staff and had safe recruitment and selection processes in place.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People and relatives told us staff were caring. Staff did all they could to promote people’s independence and we saw examples of this. People received personalised care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences, and staff supported people and their relatives to be involved with decisions relating to their care. People's privacy and dignity was upheld through the approaches taken by staff as well as in relation to the care environment, as people had access to their own bedrooms with ensuite bathroom facilities.

People had a pleasant well-presented dining experience which offered a variety of appetising food choices available at times that suited people’s preferences. The menu was overseen, and food prepared by an enthusiastic catering team who always looked at creative ways of continuously improving people’s dining experience. People’s feedback on food had been used to improve the dining experience. Staff supported people to maintain food and fluid intake, including, providing snacks, and making people hot drinks during the night to help them relax and maintain their comfort.

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. Staff had a particularly good understanding of when the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should be applied. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and complimented the food at the home.

The home was well-led by a registered manager who was committed to improving people’s quality of life. They and the provider put people at the centre of all they did and had plans to continuously improve people's care. There was a clear management structure in place and staff worked well as a team. The provider had clear oversight of the service and effective quality assurance systems in place that they used to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Staff worked well with external social and health care professionals.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 18 December 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.