Portobello Place

Updated 15 February 2024

Date of assessment 6 March to 12 April 2024. We carried out this assessment in response to concerns CQC had received, including allegations of neglect, poor culture and staff being fearful of speaking up. We found three breaches of the regulations in relation to the safe care and treatment, governance, records and a failure to notify CQC of reportable events . Staff did not consistently ensure people were protected from abuse and improper treatment. They did not always identify allegations of abuse or make referrals in line with the provider's policy. On occasions the registered manager failed to notify CQC of events that occurred in the service. Staff did not always assess risks to people's health and safety or mitigate them where identified. Systems in place to protect people from the risk of infection were not always followed. Managerial overview of the quality of the service did not identify the areas of concern that we found. However, people told us they felt safe living in the service. Some people enjoyed the interaction with staff. A range of activities were available to people and the feedback was positive following the events. The service had safe systems for the appropriate and safe handling of medicines. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 15 February 2024

There was a mixed response from people and their families when asked about the quality of the service. People felt that the environment of the home was safe for them and for their peers. However, our assessment showed risks to people had not always been suitably managed, and left people at risk of harm. We found elements of care did not meet the expected standards. For example, Staff entered people’s rooms without knocking. Staff referred to people as “Darling,” “Luvvie” and “Poppet.” One person told us, “They (staff) are all very nice, but they seem to think of you as an object rather than a real human being, a bod, a thing that has to be lumped around.” People did not raise any issue about staff actions causing hygiene issues, they did not have concerns about the hygiene in the building. However, relatives told us the cleanliness of the premises was not always good. We found there was a lack of management oversight of the service. Some relatives recognised the management had improved over the last two years. Relatives gave mixed feedback about the leadership of the service. However, other relatives told us they had had to make a complaint for things to improve, or that their concerns were not always listened and responded to.