Frome Care Village

Updated 20 May 2024

Frome Care Village provides care and accommodation for up to 60 older people in two separate buildings. The Woodlands unit provides nursing care in a purpose-built building and The Parsonage unit is an adapted building for people living with dementia. At the time of the assessment the first floor of the Parsonage unit was not in use and there were 44 people living at the service. We carried out our onsite assessment on 18 June 2024, off site activity started on 20 May 2024 and ended 1 August 2024. We looked at 15 quality statements; Learning culture, Safeguarding, Safe systems, pathways and transitions, Involving people to manage risks, Safe Environments, Safe and effective staffing, Infection prevention and control, Medicines optimisation, Shared direction and culture, Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders, Freedom to speak up, Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion, Governance, management and sustainability, Partnerships and communities, Learning and improvement and innovation. At our last inspection, the service was rated requires improvement. At this assessment, the rating for the service remains requires improvement. Quality assurance systems were in place and had identified areas of concerns, but the provider had not acted to make the improvements necessary. We saw improvements had been made regarding the deployment of skilled staff across the home since our last inspection. However, there were not always enough staff on The Woodlands unit to meet people’s needs. The provider had failed to implement and sustain improvements. This is the 4th consecutive time the overall rating for the service has been less than good.

Updated 20 May 2024

People told us they felt safe at the home and were complimentary about the staff who supported them. They looked comfortable and relaxed with staff and said they knew them well. Since the last inspection improvements had been made regarding the deployment of staff with the skills needed to support people. One person told us their care had been much better. However, people, relatives and staff told us there were not always enough staff on duty on the Woodlands unit. This continued to impact on the time people had to wait for support, daily routines, mealtime experiences, activities, and attention to personal care needs. People were able to access healthcare professionals and attend hospital appointments. They told us healthcare professionals were contacted by the home if required and visited regularly. People and relatives praised the cleanliness of the home. Comments included, “It’s much cleaner now, and they are gradually getting new furniture.” People raised no concerns about their medicine management. Relatives had completed a survey which concluded in June 2024 and identified areas which required improvement. Feedback included, poor communication by the staff team, people not being supported to be comfortable and not feeling able to recommend the home. At the time of the assessment, no formal plan of action was in place regarding these findings. However, we were told about the manager working with staff around the mealtime experience.