Portelet Manor Rest Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Portelet Manor Rest Home was registered for 25 people. There were 18 older people living in the home at the time of our inspection. The home is an adapted building in a residential area of Bournemouth. People had a variety of care and support needs related to their physical and mental health.

This unannounced inspection took place on 10 November 2018. This was our first inspection of this service since it had been bought by the current provider in December 2017.

People and staff described that the home had been through a period of change. They were all confident that the new provider and the management team were ensuring improvements and stability.

People living in the home received care and support from staff who knew them well and understood their needs. People were happy with their care and they shared appreciation and confidence in the management and staff team. People were supported to make choices about their care. Staff understood how the MCA supported their work and that best interest decisions had been made when people could not consent to their care. Care plans reflected that care was being delivered within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had been applied for when necessary.

There were enough staff and this meant people had support, care and time, when they needed it, from staff who had been safely recruited.

There was not a registered manager for the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager had resigned and an application had been made to cancel their registration. The new manager had started their application to register with the CQC.

Staff understood people’s care needs and spoke about the individualised support people needed to meet these needs. They told us they felt well supported in their roles and had received training that provided them with the necessary knowledge and skills. There was a plan in place to ensure staff received refresher and specialised as deemed necessary by the provider.

Care documentation had been transferred to a computerised system and staff were positive about the benefits of this for accessing and monitoring information. This documentation was being reviewed and improved.

People felt safe. Staff understood the risks people faced and how to reduce these risks. Measures to reduce risk reflected the person’s preferences. Staff also knew how to identify and respond to abuse.

People told us they saw health care professionals when necessary and were supported to maintain their health by staff. People’s needs related to on going healthcare and health emergencies were met and recorded. People received their medicines as they were prescribed.

Where people had received end of life care in the home, we saw feedback from relatives that was consistent in its acknowledgement of the kindness and compassion of the staff team.

People described the food as good and there were systems in place to ensure people had enough to eat and drink.

People were engaged with activities that reflected their preferences, including individual and group activities both in the home and the local area. Staff had received training to develop the availability of meaningful activities.

Staff were cheerful and treated people and visitors with respect and kindness throughout our inspection.