Care Quality Commission report: Portland Road
Portland Road
Care Quality Commission (CQC) report from 18th July 2025 assessment. This practice was given an overall rating of 'Outstanding'.
Portland Road is a care home supporting nine people, all of whom live with a mental health condition. Some people also required support with their physical health needs. Portland Road is part of the Archway Project under the provider BHT Sussex and focuses on supporting people to move towards independent living. This assessment was undertaken due to the age of the previous rating.
People received exceptionally good care from highly skilled staff who were very responsive to their personalised care needs, which staff had identified through comprehensive assessments to plan and shape the right care individualised to them. Care was based on excellent practice and reflected national guidelines.
The provider had a strong ethos on creating an open culture where lessons could be learnt without blame and a focus on driving quality and improving people’s experience of care. Staff received bespoke training to meet people’s needs and spoke highly about the supportive environment they worked in. People felt safe at Portland Road and were supported to take positive risks, where suitable, to enable them to live a life they wished.
People were respected and valued as individuals. Staff knew them exceptionally well and tailored support specific to their needs. People's wellbeing was improved by unique person-centred care planning with significant attention to detail around their needs, wishes and preferences, both for now and the future. There was an outstandingly flexible approach, and people were directly involved in planning and reviewing their care. Adjustments were made to ensure people’s social and cultural diversities were celebrated, and provisions were taken to make certain people received the specific support they needed.
The provider had excellent systems and processes to ensure people and staff were heard and used this information to shape the service to achieve the best possible outcomes for people. Where appropriate, people’s representatives were involved in their care.
Effective governance systems were in place to ensure the service was well-led and that improvement in care delivery could be driven forward. Staff and the management team had strong relationships with external professionals and robust partnership working was evident.
People's experience of the service
People were wholly involved in shaping the home to ensure it was individualised for them and provided them with the care and support they needed. They felt safe in the home and had strong bonds with a staff team who knew them very well.
People spoke positively about staff and the management team; they were comfortable raising any concerns they may have and felt that their voices were heard. There was a strong ethos at the service to promote independence and support people to regain or improve skills to achieve their desired outcomes and goals. Without exception, people reported that staff treated them with respect and honoured their needs and wishes.
One person shared, “[Staff] just get me, they understand me and respect my views. I feel safe, I’ve got my own key and can come and go, but they always ask if I’m ok.”
The CQC observation confirmed this, and that staff were warm, friendly, and spoke both with and about people in a dignified manner.