The Potteries

Updated 25 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 was undertaken by an inspector, a pharmacist inspector 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

The Potteries 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. The Potteries is a care home with 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 since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and NHS care commissioners. 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. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service and received feedback from a relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 10 members of staff and 3 agency staff. The staff spoken with included the registered manager, suite managers, care workers and facilities and housekeeping staff. 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.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care records and multiple room records and medication records. We looked at a staff file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision, staff rotas, training records and a variety of other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 25 March 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

About the service

The Potteries is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 60 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 80 people.

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

Right Support:

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.

The registered manager made a point of being available for people, relatives and staff to speak with. People and staff told us they found the management team, including the registered manager, approachable and supportive.

The provider and the management team at The Potteries listened to what people said about their experience of their or their loved one’s care there and what they wanted to happen. They acted on what people said. People were encouraged to make their wishes and preferences known.

Right Care:

People looked comfortable with staff and welcomed their company. They told us they felt safe at the service. Managers and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.

Staff went about their work calmly and confirmed staffing levels enabled them to provide the care people needed. Staff had the skills required to support people safely and effectively and people had confidence in their abilities. Pre-employment checks helped ensure only suitable staff were recruited or were provided by employment agencies.

People received the care they needed to manage risks safely and in line with their preferences. Medicines were managed safely. The premises and equipment were kept clean and in good order.

Right Culture:

Staff and managers at all levels adopted a caring approach, focusing on people as individuals. This was inherent in the way staff spoke with people and about them.

People had input into planning activities programs and enjoyed the activities provided. There was a member of staff whose role was to foster links with local community organisations

The management team worked openly and constructively with local authority and NHS commissioning and safeguarding teams. Close working with health and social care professionals in relation to people’s care was routine.

The registered manager used the provider’s quality assurance processes to make sure the home continued to work safely and effectively with people, listening to their wishes and respecting their preferences.

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 20 December 2019).

At our last inspection, in safe and well-led, we recommended the registered manager and provider reviewed how they assessed safe staffing levels, adopted national guidance in relation to ‘as necessary’ medicines and listening to staff at staff meetings. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on these recommendations and had made improvements.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to call bells, staffing levels and the management of medicines. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Potteries 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.