Portelet Cottage

Updated 23 September 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 was carried out by 3 inspectors.

Service and service type

Portelet Cottage 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. Portelet Cottage 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

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We sought feedback from the local authority and emergency services. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 7 people and 8 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We heard feedback from 6 members of staff including the registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We received responses from 9 health and social care professionals. We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people's care and support records and 4 people's medicine administration records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and training. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, staffing rotas, accident and incident records, safeguarding records, and quality assurance reports.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 23 September 2023

About the service

Portelet Cottage is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 16 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 16 people using the service.

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

Care plans and risk assessments were person centred. People and relatives told us staff knew them well. Staff supported people in a kind and compassionate way, considering their dignity and with respect. Medicines were managed, stored, and administered safely.

People, relatives and visiting health and social care professionals spoke highly of the leadership and positive culture at Portelet Cottage. People and relatives described the staff team as “like family”. Comments included: “They have become like an extended family and treat my [loved one] like they are part of a big family. They always keep me updated if there are any worries and concerns” and, “They are very good to me here.”

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 been observed to uphold the rights of people using the service. A visiting health and social care professional stated, “Care staff offer support and respect if this is not accepted at that time, I always see staff return later to try again.”

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

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 6 October 2018).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to fire safety and people’s rights being respected. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective, and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We found people's rights were being respected. However, the service was working on improvements to the fire safety within the home to ensure they met the fire safety regulations. The provider was working with the fire service and had a schedule of building improvement works in progress.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Portelet Cottage on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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