CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Potton View
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing and controlling infections. They found arrangements for testing, PPE, hand hygiene, cleaning, social distancing and managing a possible outbreak.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, February 2021
Potton View was inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about its infection prevention and control measures.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 19 January 2021. It checked how the home was prepared to prevent and control coronavirus infections.
Inspectors were assured that the home used protective equipment safely, followed testing, shielding and social distancing arrangements, and had suitable cleaning and hygiene measures.
The home had a visiting pod, although visits were suspended at the time. People could keep in touch with relatives through arranged phone and video calls.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a rated judgement for safe care.
Infection testing
People and staff were tested regularly, with additional lateral flow testing for staff when they arrived for work.
“People were swab tested every 28 days. Staff were swab tested every seven days and would then be lateral flow tested when they arrived on shift.” from the report
Entry and protective measures
Health and social care visitors had to sign in, use hand sanitiser, have their temperature checked and complete a health declaration. PPE was available when needed.
“On arrival into the building, a health or social care visitor must wait to enter, they will then sign in (track and trace), sanitise their hands and have their temperature checked.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors saw frequent cleaning of high-touch areas, and communal spaces were kept uncluttered to help cleaning.
“A housekeeping staff member was observed cleaning frequently touched areas such as computer keyboards, chairs, table tops, handles and furniture.” from the report
Contact with relatives
The home had a separate visiting pod and offered arranged phone and video calls to help people stay in touch with family and friends.
“Phone calls and video calls were also available to people to stay in contact with friends and family.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What are the current arrangements for visiting relatives in person?
- 02What infection testing is now carried out for people living here and staff?
- 03How are visitors checked before entering the home, and when is PPE required?
- 04How would the home manage an infection outbreak and separate areas if needed?
- 05What options are available for phone or video calls if in-person visits are restricted?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not provide a full rating of the home or ratings for the other four questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 February 2021 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, September 2019
Potton View was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with drinks briefly unavailable in communal areas.
This was the first inspection since the home registered with the CQC. It was planned but unannounced. Inspectors spoke with five people, two relatives and five staff. They also checked care records, medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people felt safe, staff understood their needs and medicines were managed safely.
People were supported to make choices, stay independent and take part in activities. Staff were described as kind and caring. The home had systems to monitor quality, learn from incidents and involve people and relatives in decisions about care.
Inspectors noted that drinks were not available in communal areas when they first arrived. This was corrected immediately. The home had no previous rating because this was its first inspection.
People felt safe
Risk assessments guided staff in reducing risks such as falls. People and relatives said they felt safe, and staff knew how to report concerns.
“People and their relatives said they, their family member, felt safe living at Potton View.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people's preferences and supported their privacy, dignity and independence. People and relatives reported positive relationships with staff.
“People and their relatives had positive comments about the care and support provided by staff.” from the report
Safe medicines management
Staff were trained and checked as competent to give medicines. Records showed medicines were administered accurately, with no gaps.
“Administration records that recorded when a person's medicine had been given were completed accurately with no gaps in the recording.” from the report
Personalised choices
People could choose when to eat, what to eat and how they received personal care. Staff encouraged people to remain as independent as possible.
“People had a choice of menu options and could choose something like a snack rather than a hot meal if they preferred.” from the report
Activities and community links
People took part in activities, entertainment and trips out. The home also had links with local religious services and a sports club.
“External trips out to the seaside took place and external entertainers such as singers also entertained people at the service.” from the report
Drinks in communal areas
minorWhen inspectors arrived, drinks were not available to people in communal areas. The home corrected this immediately, but families should check how drink access is maintained throughout the day.
“When we first arrived, there was lack of drinks available to people in the communal areas of the service.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure drinks are available in communal areas throughout the day?
- 02How often are each person's risk assessments reviewed, particularly where there is a risk of falling?
- 03How do you make sure staff understand each person's preferences, care plan and communication needs?
- 04What activities and trips are currently available, and how do you find out what people want to do?
- 05How are medicines checked, including medicines prescribed to be given only when needed?
This was the first inspection and covered the premises and care across all five CQC questions, including discussions with people, relatives and staff and checks of care, medicines, recruitment and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 September 2019 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 Potton View
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2019GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2018
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 August 2018.
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
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
17 live-in carers within about an hour of Cambridgeshire
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 £1,200 a week. 14 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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.