Petworth Cottage Nursing Home

Who the service is for

This service provides care and accommodation for older people, including end of life care.

Key Findings

We carried out this assessment on 21 July 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.

Risks to people were assessed and care was provided safely. People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. The service had an established staff team, many of whom had worked at Petworth Cottage for several years. They spoke fondly of the residents and enjoyed their work. Feedback from staff included, “The best thing is the [staff] team.” There were effective systems in place to safeguard people. Staff understood the importance of keeping people safe and were positive about the care provided. They told us, “[The] residents are well looked after.” Medicines were administered safely and there were systems in place to ensure the environment was safe.

People’s care needs were assessed. People had a care plan which contained guidance for staff to meet their needs. The care records were person-centred and detailed. Care records and risk assessments were reviewed and up to date. People’s records were easily available to staff using a handheld device. However, staff knew people well and were able to discuss their care needs without needing to refer to their records. Staff understood the importance of seeking consent and respected people’s right to choose. They gave examples of how people had agency over their lives and were able to make choices. They said, “[Staff] offer people food choices and remind people of the available activities, giving them the opportunity to participate if they want to.”

Staff treated people with kindness and compassion, and we saw this during our visit. Staff were friendly and appeared to enjoy spending timewith and chatting to people. Feedback from staff included, “It’s a nice happy place to work.”

There was evidence of a positive and inclusive culture. Staff praised the teamwork andspoke fondly of the registered manager. They told us they received a “good level of support both personally and professionally.” They said senior staff were, “flexible and fair, especially in terms of the duty rota.” The registered manager was visible within the home and was always happy to speak with people and visitors. The registered manager had clear oversight of the service, using audits andby being present within the service. It was clear throughout our visit that people knew who the registered manager was and were used to spending time in their company. Feedback from staff regarding the registered manager included that they were “hands on” and they know everybody very well.