CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Frithwood Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2023
Frithwood Nursing Home was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found risks, poor records and unmet preferences, although medicines and staff recruitment were safe.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 10 and 11 October 2023. They spoke with 17 people living at the home, 10 relatives, staff and managers. They also checked care records, medicines records, staff files and other documents.
The home was not always safe. Some people could not reach call bells, three pressure-relieving mattresses were set incorrectly, and risk plans did not always give staff enough guidance. The building also had trip hazards, damaged flooring and areas that were not suitable for people living with dementia.
Care plans did not always reflect people's wishes, food preferences or support needs. People also had limited meaningful activities, and records about care and food intake were not always accurate. Inspectors found breaches of four regulations and issued a warning notice.
All five areas were rated Requires Improvement. This is worse than the previous Good rating, published in 2018. The provider must send an action plan, and CQC said it would monitor progress with the provider and local authority.
Medicines
Medicines were given as prescribed and stored securely. Controlled medicines were managed according to legal requirements.
“People received their medicines as prescribed, in a timely manner and medicines were managed safely.” from the report
Staff recruitment
The recruitment records checked references, the right to work and criminal record information for the staff files reviewed.
“The provider had recruitment process which meant they could ensure new staff had the required knowledge and skills required for the role.” from the report
Kind support
People and relatives generally described staff as kind and caring. Inspectors also saw staff protecting people's privacy and dignity.
“People received their support in a kind and caring manner.” from the report
Healthcare support
People were supported to see healthcare professionals when needed, and relatives said they were informed about medical visits.
“People were supported to access healthcare and other services if there was a need identified.” from the report
Unreachable call bells and other risks
seriousSome people could not reach a call bell, including people in 12 bedrooms. Three pressure-relieving mattresses were set to the wrong weight, increasing the risk of skin damage.
“There were no call bells in place in the lounge when people were placed by staff for long periods of time without support during the morning.” from the report
Unsafe environment
seriousInspectors found damaged or missing flooring, exposed wiring and pipework, building materials creating trip hazards, and bathrooms being used for storage.
“There was an unsecured section of carpet on the entrance to the lounge.” from the report
Incomplete care plans and records
needs fixingCare plans did not always explain people's needs, wishes or preferences. Some records stated what people had eaten or received without staff having checked it.
“The provider did not always ensure there was information in care plans for staff reflected the person's wishes and preferences.” from the report
Limited activities
needs fixingPeople were sometimes left in the lounge for up to two and a half hours with little interaction. Activities were not always linked to their interests.
“We saw that people in the lounge were left for up to 2.5 hours without a staff member providing supervision and interaction.” from the report
Weak oversight
seriousAudits did not always identify problems, and there was no reliable process to check that care records reflected people's actual care. The home also lacked a registered manager at the time of inspection.
“The provider had a range of audits but these were not always robust enough to identify where actions were required to make improvements.” from the report
- 01Can you show what has been done to make sure every person can reach a call bell, including in bedrooms and communal areas?
- 02What action has been taken to fix the flooring, exposed areas, trip hazards and storage of equipment?
- 03How do you now check that risk plans and care plans give staff personalised, up-to-date instructions?
- 04How do you record what each person eats and drinks, including pureed meals and personal food preferences?
- 05What activities are now available, and how are they matched to each person's interests?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, including the home's premises and care, with infection prevention and control also reviewed. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 December 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, October 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and person-centred care, with some improvements still needed to the garden and feedback surveys.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 9 October 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They observed care, checked medicines and the environment, and reviewed care records, staff files, training, complaints, incidents and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely, staffing levels met people's needs, and recruitment checks were completed.
People were treated kindly and their individual choices, backgrounds, privacy and dignity were respected. Care plans were detailed, health and nutrition were monitored, and activities and end of life care were planned around people's needs.
The rating had improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection in August 2017. Earlier warning notices about safe care and treatment and good governance had been met by October 2017.
Safe medicines practice
Inspectors checked medicines records, storage and administration. They found people received medicines as prescribed and saw no gaps in the records checked.
“People received their medicines as prescribed, including controlled drugs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff noticed people's needs, offered reassurance and respected privacy, dignity, choices and cultural needs.
“Staff supported people in a kind and caring way and interacted with people throughout the day.” from the report
Personalised care plans
Care plans included people's backgrounds, preferences, health needs and detailed guidance for staff. They were written in a person-centred way.
“Care plans were comprehensive and detailed and included the person's needs and wishes in all areas of support.” from the report
Good support for health and nutrition
People's nutritional needs were recorded and monitored, with advice sought from relevant healthcare professionals when needed.
“People's health and nutritional needs had been assessed, recorded and were being monitored.” from the report
Garden was not inviting
minorAlthough the garden was clean and spacious, inspectors found it lacked colour and areas of interest. The home said it would seek guidance and make improvements.
“The garden was spacious and clean, but uninviting.” from the report
Limited feedback surveys
minorThe home surveyed relatives, but people living at the home and staff were not included in the quality assurance surveys. Management said it would introduce a pictorial survey for people.
“People and staff were not asked to complete satisfaction questionnaires as part of the quality assurance surveys.” from the report
- 01How many nurses and care staff are usually on duty for each shift, and how do you cover sickness or vacancies?
- 02What improvements have been made to the garden since the inspection?
- 03How can residents and staff now give feedback about the quality of the home?
- 04How are activities planned for people who are cared for in bed or living with dementia?
- 05How will my relative's personal preferences, cultural needs and end of life wishes be recorded and reviewed?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality of the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 October 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Frithwood Nursing Home
6 rated inspections over 9 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.
- December 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 January 2011.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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