Good - but can do better

A care home in Potton has been told it needs to respond better to its residents.

Potton House, in Potton Road, Biggleswade, was told by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it had too few staff to provide one to one support for people who needed it all the times, during its inspection earlier this year.

But the overall inspection of the home found the care provided was good.

Inspectors made an unannounced inspection of the home on June 22 this year.

It currently cares for 20 people with dementia and needs relating to their mental health.

The report said there were enough skilled, qualified staff to provide for people’s needs and that robust recruitment and selection processes were in place to ensure staff were suitable to work with people who lived at the home.

People were involved in determining their own care needs and the way in which their care was to be delivered.

But inspectors were concerned about a lack of activites on offer for residents.

The report says: “Although there is some evidence that people were supported to maintain their interests, such as one person being supported to write letters, people told us that there was very little for them to do.

“One person said, ‘Some days I have things to do but other days there is nothing here. Usually there isn’t much’.”

“We observed people as they sat in the main lounge for hours with little to stimulate them.”

The manager told inspectors there were plans in place to provide more activites and things to do, including having an Elvis Presely impersonator visit on a regular basis.

Inspectors also found there was a friendly, family atmosphere about the home and stated the home provides a good safe, effective, caring and well-led facility.

Its overall rating was that the service was good.

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