Frith House

Frith House is a care home which specialises in the care of older people including people living with dementia. It is registered to accommodate up to 83 people. At the time of our visits there were 65 people using the service.

At our last assessment, we rated this service outstanding overall. At this assessment, the overall service rating has remained outstanding.

We observed a calm, welcoming environment where people were supported by staff who knew them well. Treating people with dignity, kindness, respect and person-centred care was at the very heart of the service.

The care and support provided by kind and compassionate staff led to meaningful outcomes for people using the service. This included improved wellbeing, emotional reassurance, enhanced engagement, reduced distress, strengthened relationships, and positive lived experiences.

People told us they felt safe living at Frith House and we observed positive, caring interactions throughout the assessment. Staff were attentive, responsive, and respectful. Staff were committed to working collaboratively with people and supported them to maintain their independence where possible.

Care plans were comprehensive, highly personalised, and reflected people’s life histories, preferences, values and wishes. Risk assessments were detailed and regularly reviewed, supporting safe and person‑centred care. The service had systems to support people’s eating and drinking needs, and where inconsistencies were identified, leaders responded promptly, using these as learning opportunities to strengthen practice and oversight.

The provider was exceptional at supporting workforce wellbeing and enabling staff to deliver high‑quality care. They strongly valued diversity in their workforce.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs, and staff had the skills and knowledge required to support people safely. The service had comprehensive training, supervision, and competency checks, with clear leadership oversight.

The registered manager and wider management team were highly committed to continual learning and improvement. They took part in research and projects to develop practice and enhance staff skills. This included working with health care professionals to promote healthy eating and drinking. This was aimed at increasing people’s wellbeing, reducing falls and infections and minimising the need for people to be admitted to hospital.

The service had robust governance systems and quality assurance processes. The oversight of these systems helped to ensure, a high quality of care was given to people, with any shortfall identified and addressed. There was a strong focus on learning from incidents, complaints, and audits, with evidence of effective governance arrangements. We saw examples where learning led to improvements in care planning, staff guidance and monitoring arrangements, showing the provider used information effectively to improve outcomes for people. Leaders were visible, approachable, and fostered a positive, open culture where staff felt supported and listened to.

Overall, Frith House demonstrated an extremely positive, person‑centred culture, with a committed leadership promoting a strong culture of dignity through designated dignity champions and end‑of‑life champions. The leadership team had a clear focus on continuous improvement to ensure people received safe, effective, and compassionate care.