Chesham: Portobello Place gets new CQC rating

Portobello Place in Chesham was purpose built in 2019 with all the modern perks, including its own bar and a spa. 

Now the care home bosses have now revealed a sneak peak inside the luxury home following its first ever inspection by the social and healthcare watchdog Care Quality Commission. 

Portobello Place was rated overall ‘good’ during the unannounced inspection on January 31 and February 7.

The look of the stylish bar area (Image: Berkley Care Group)

The home scored ‘good’ across safety, effectiveness, care and leadership key categories.

The responsiveness category was rated as ‘outstanding’.

Alongside the high-end bar and spa facilities, the home boasts 61 en-suite bedrooms, a private dining room, cinema, library, gym, landscaped gardens and a bespoke car service.

One resident told the inspectors: "I do feel very safe here, there is no reason why I shouldn't feel safe and I love the fact that I have a view of the garden."

The look of the lounge area inside Portobello Place (Image: Berkley Care Group)

Another resident said: "The staff are super, they are smiling, they always help me, they give me anything that I ask for."

The home had an innovative approach to using technology, including helping a person living with dementia with a specialist lighting system, the CQC said.

“Following this the person has been sleeping throughout the night and was more settled during the day allowing them to participate in meaningful activities. Their medicines had not been increased since and they had not needed any 'when required' medicines,” the report noted.

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The CQC commended the home’s personal trainer for enrolling the residents with Parkinson’s disease in a 12-week cycling programme at the on-site gym to help improve “freezing gait” and well-being after a monthly incident report showed a significant number of falls among residents with Parkinson’s disease.

The report said: “This resulted in significant reduction of falls, improvement in people's balance and coordination which improved their well-being and enabled them to complete simple tasks. The home adopted this exercise programme for people living with Parkinson's disease.”

The care home was purpose build in 2019 (Image: Berkley Care Group)

One relative said: "She has her mates there, she spends a lot of her time with them, her social outreach has broadened since she has been there."

Andrew Winstanley, CEO of Berkley Care Group and the owners of the home, said the first inspection lays a foundation for the ‘outstanding’ rating at its next inspection.

He added: “The rating is testament to the hard work of our staff, who always put the wellbeing of our residents first. We are committed to providing the highest quality of care to our residents and will continue to strive for excellence.

“Since opening Portobello Place in late 2019, our team of dedicated staff have worked hard to ensure every resident is treated with the utmost kindness, compassion, and respect. We are proud of their hard work and dedication.

 “We believe that our residents deserve the very best, which is why we have invested in creating a homely environment with beautiful gardens, a hairdressing salon, a cinema room, and a library, among other amenities, to enhance their wellbeing.”