- Care home
Fornham House Residential Home
Assessment report published 19 May 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Dates of inspection: 31 March and 1 April 2026. Fornham House Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 88 older people, including people living with dementia. At this inspection there were 77 people living at the service.
The service had effective systems in place to assess, plan and review people’s care. Risk assessments were completed and regularly reviewed, and staff worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people received appropriate and timely support. Medicines were well managed, with robust systems for administration, auditing and competency. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s assessed needs, and staff were appropriately trained and supported through supervision and development opportunities.
Care was delivered in a caring and compassionate way. We observed consistently warm, respectful interactions between staff and people throughout the inspection. People were supported to maintain their independence and make everyday choices about their care, routines and activities. The provider demonstrated particularly strong practice in workforce wellbeing, creating a positive, supportive culture where staff felt valued and enabled to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.
The service was highly responsive to people’s needs. Staff showed creativity and flexibility in adapting activities, routines and approaches to ensure people remained meaningfully engaged, even when needs were complex or changing. People’s feedback was actively listened to and used to improve experiences. Leaders demonstrated persistence and compassion in supporting people whose needs had been difficult for other services to meet, often achieving significant positive outcomes.
The registered manager and deputy manager were highly visible, approachable and engaged in the day-to-day life of the home. Governance systems were effective in identifying and responding to risks, and leaders acted promptly when concerns were highlighted.However, the environment and infection prevention and control required improvement. The inspection identified several areas of the service that were in a poor state of repair, with worn furnishings and cleanliness issues that placed people at risk of harm and infection. Although leaders took immediate action during the inspection to address these concerns and shared plans for more extensive refurbishment, the condition of the environment at the time of inspection demonstrated that action had not always been taken in a timely way.
People's experience of this service
People living at Fornham House Residential Home consistently described positive experiences of care that was kind, respectful and centred around what mattered to them. People told us they felt safe, comfortable and well supported by staff who knew them well and understood their individual needs, preferences and routines. Relatives also spoke positively about people’s experiences and the reassurance they felt from the consistency and commitment of the staff team. We observed warm and respectful interactions between staff and people. Staff took time to engage with people in a meaningful way, offering reassurance, conversation and emotional support where needed. People appeared relaxed and at ease in their environment, and we observed staff responding promptly to requests for support in a calm and patient manner. People were supported to maintain their independence and make everyday choices about their lives. People told us they were able to choose how they spent their time, when they got up, what they ate and whether they wished to take part in activities. People’s individual histories, personalities and interests were well understood by staff and reflected in the care they received. Care records contained detailed, person-centred information about what was important to people, their life stories and how best to support their emotional and physical wellbeing.
People experienced meaningful engagement and activities that were tailored to their interests and abilities. People’s feedback was listened to and used to improve their experiences. People and relatives told us they felt confident to raise concerns or suggestions and were reassured these would be taken seriously.
People were supported to maintain their health and wellbeing.