- Care home
Fryers House - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities
Assessment report published 16 June 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 16 February to 10 March 2026. Fryers House Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities isa nursing home which provides personal care and nursing care to adults. At the time of our assessment 15 people were using the service. We carried out a responsive assessment in response to information of concern received and to follow up on the findings from the last assessment, reviewing 24 quality statements across the five key questions: Is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well‑led?
Since the last assessment, we found clear improvement in several areas. The service was more effective, caring and responsive, with people experiencing more person‑centred care, improved engagement in meaningful activities and greater involvement in decisions about their care. Staff were visibly more engaged, and people told us they felt listened to and valued. Care planning, assessment, monitoring of outcomes and safeguarding practice had improved, and people experienced care that better reflected their individual needs and preferences.
However, the service was not consistently safe. We identified continued shortfalls in the management of medicines and the recruitment of staff, which meant people remained exposed to an ongoing risk of harm. These concerns reflected learning from previous assessment findings that had not yet translated into sustained, embedded improvement in these areas. The provider remained in breach of legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment, staff recruitment and governance.
Since the last assessment, leadership and governance had strengthened at service level, with a positive impact from a newly appointed interim manager. People and staff spoke very positively about the manager’s visibility, openness and person‑centred leadership. However, leadership arrangements and governance systems were not yet fully embedded or assured. This limited assurance that improvements would be sustained over time.
We expect providers supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people to follow the principles of Right support, right care, right culture, ensuring people experience dignity, choice, independence and inclusion. At this assessment, the provider demonstrated improvement in how people were supported to live as ordinary lives within their community. However, further work was needed to ensure people were consistently supported safely and that systems were strong enough to uphold people’s rights and protect them from avoidable harm.
The provider demonstrated openness, responsiveness and insight throughout the assessment. Leaders engaged constructively with findings, acknowledged where progress had not been made, and took prompt action to address immediate concerns. The provider had a comprehensive service improvement plan in place, which leaders were using to drive improvement. We have requested an action plan setting out how the provider will address the remaining concerns identified at this assessment and provide assurance that improvements will be sustained.
People's experience of this service
At this assessment, people’s experiences were more positive overall compared to the last assessment, although some variation remained.
People told us they generally felt safe, listened to and involved in their care. Many people spoke positively about the impact of the interim manager, describing improved engagement, better communication and greater involvement in decisions about their daily lives. People said leaders actively encouraged feedback and acted on what mattered to them.
Most people told us things were “going in the right direction” and described improvements in how and when staff supported them, including being supported at times that suited them better. People said they felt safe and able to speak to the manager if they had concerns. One person said, “Since the interim manager has been here, he has made a difference… he is really trying.”
People described being actively involved in planning and reviewing their care and told us they were supported to make choices about their lives, including activities, food, routines and personal goals. One person told us, “I want to feel like what anyone else would do living their own lives. I want that control and ownership and staff respect that.” People described being supported to access the local community and pursue interests that mattered to them, including trips they chose themselves and working towards going to college.
People valued staff who took time to talk with them, sit with them at eye level and notice changes in their mood or wellbeing. One person told us, “They don’t stand over me, they sit down and talk to me on my level”, while another said, “If something’s wrong, they listen to me. I do feel heard.” Many people spoke positively about staff kindness, particularly familiar staff who knew their preferences well.
People also described improvements to the environment and said leaders had listened to suggestions raised in residents’ meetings, including refurbishments to bedrooms and communal areas. People told us this helped them feel valued and involved in shaping their home.
However, people’s experiences were not always consistent. Some people told us they noticed differences in the quality of support depending on staff familiarity, particularly when agency staff were used. One person said staff supporting across buildings at night could sometimes mean waiting longer for support. These comments reflected the variation in experience.
Feedback from relatives was mixed. Many spoke positively about staff kindness, cleanliness and people appearing well cared for and safe. Some relatives reported improved communication and said the manager was accessible and responsive. However, others had not yet experienced the same level of improvement and wanted more consistent communication and involvement, particularly around care planning. Leaders described how they were actively working to strengthen communication with relatives, including increasing engagement and providing more regular updates.
Overall, people’s experience had improved since the last assessment. People had greater involvement, choice and independence, and described more positive relationships with staff. However, more time was needed for improvements to be experienced consistently by everyone.
The manager actively promoted a positive and inclusive ethos, encouraging feedback and regular engagement with people, relatives and staff to drive ongoing improvement and positive outcomes.