CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Portchester Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found staff understood safeguarding, risks were assessed and reviewed, medicines were managed safely, and there were enough suitably skilled staff. The home was clean and had suitable infection control arrangements.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found supportive leadership, a person-centred culture and effective quality checks. Staff and professionals gave positive feedback about the management and care.
What inspectors found, December 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, person-centred care, with improvements needed in sexual health and relationship guidance.
This was a focused inspection on 17 and 19 October 2023. Inspectors looked only at whether the home was safe and well-led. They spoke with people, staff and managers, and checked records, policies, training, medicines and staffing information.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely and there were enough trained staff. The home was clean and infection control arrangements were suitable.
Inspectors found a positive, person-centred culture. Staff understood people's needs and quality checks were being completed. They identified that sexual health support, relationship guidance and safe sexual hygiene could be improved, and the manager took immediate action.
Safeguarding and risk
Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. Risk assessments included people's behaviours, triggers and ways to support them when anxious.
“Staff had taken appropriate steps to protect people from the risk of abuse.” from the report
Medicines
Medicines were given by trained staff whose competence was checked regularly. Records of medicines received, given and disposed of were accurate.
“People could be confident medicines were managed safely and administered by competent staff who had access to appropriate guidance and information.” from the report
Staffing and continuity
Inspectors found enough skilled staff to meet people's needs. The staff team was stable and agency staff were not needed at the time.
“The service had a stable staff team and at the time of the inspection there were no support worker vacancies.” from the report
Person-centred culture
Staff knew people's care plans and supported meaningful activities, celebrations and individual cultural and religious preferences.
“Care and support was consistently delivered in a person-centred manner.” from the report
Quality management
The home used audits, checks and action plans to monitor and improve the quality and safety of care.
“Effective quality assurance measures were in place.” from the report
Sexual health and relationships
needs fixingInspectors said improvements were needed in sexual health support, relationship guidance and safe sexual hygiene. The manager took immediate action after receiving this feedback.
“At the time of the inspection, we identified improvements could be made in relation to sexual health support, relationship guidance and safe sexual hygiene.” from the report
- 01What immediate action was taken to improve sexual health support, relationship guidance and safe sexual hygiene?
- 02How are people's choices about relationships and sexual health recorded and supported safely?
- 03How often are medicines staff assessed as competent, and how are medicine changes recorded?
- 04How are people's risk assessments reviewed after incidents or changes in behaviour?
- 05How will the home monitor improvements between inspections?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection in 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 December 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, July 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with clear improvements since the previous inspection.
The unannounced inspection looked at all five areas that CQC rates. Inspectors spoke with people, staff and managers, reviewed records and audits, observed care, and followed two people's experiences through the home.
The home was rated Good in every area: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe medicines systems, trained staff, personalised care plans, activities, and good support for people's health, choices and relationships.
The previous inspection in April 2017 had found four breaches of care regulations and one registration breach. This inspection found that improvements had been made and the provider had met the requirement notices.
Improved safety systems
Risk assessments and care plans gave staff clear guidance about people's health and safety needs. Recruitment checks had also improved since the previous inspection.
“At this inspection we found improvements had been made.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff were trained and checked as competent to give medicines. Records were audited and any gaps or discrepancies were followed up.
“People were supported by staff to receive their medicines safely and on time.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff communicated in a kind and relaxed way. People were supported to be independent, make choices and maintain their dignity and privacy.
“Staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's preferences, communication methods, health needs and interests. Staff supported people to take part in activities and access the community.
“Care plans were developed and maintained about every aspect of people's care and were centred on individual needs and requirements.” from the report
Active quality checks
The registered manager and senior managers carried out audits and created action plans. Inspectors found evidence that earlier issues had been addressed.
“Quality audits showed actions had been put in place and achieved in relation to recruitment, notifications, training, supervision of staff and care planning.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you now check that every person's risk assessment and care plan remains accurate and up to date?
- 02How often are medicines records audited, and how are any gaps or errors followed up?
- 03What training and competency checks will staff supporting my relative receive for their specific needs?
- 04How will you involve my relative and our family in care reviews and decisions about support?
- 05Which activities and community opportunities would be suitable for my relative, and how would their preferences be recorded?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall service and all five CQC questions, with ratings given for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 July 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Portchester Lodge
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- December 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2017Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 October 2016.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.