Frognal House Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

The last rating for this key question was good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people using the service were treated with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People told us staff treated them with kindness and respect. Comments included, “They [staff] are lovely, so kind and compassionate”, “They [staff] are one and all, helpful, kind and cheerful”, “They [staff] are lovely, very helpful and respectful”, “They [staff] are so gentle and patient”, and “They [staff] are always pleasant as well as skilled.”

The atmosphere within the service appeared welcoming, warm and attentive. We observed staff interactions with people that reflected a sense of care and kindness. Staff involved people in the care and support being provided and explained clearly how the support was offered.

Staff were knowledgeable about people's individual personalities, routines and likes and dislikes. Staff were aware of the importance of providing person centred care and offering people choice in relation to their care and support. Staff told us they ensured people’s dignity was respected when supporting them with their care needs. We observed this practice such as staff knocking on people’s doors and waiting for a response before entering their rooms. One staff member told us, “When I provide people with personal care, I cover them up and I make sure their doors are closed. I offer people choices of a wash or a shower, and I explain what I am doing as I go along. I always encourage people to do what they can for themselves.”

Staff treated people as individuals ensuring their care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. Staff took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and protected characteristics. A person told us, “Essentially we are doing exactly what we want in a 5 star hotel.”

We observed people were free to spend time doing the things they enjoyed, and staff supported and encouraged them to be involved in social activities that were planned. Visitors were able to visit without restrictions. One person told us, “I have lots of visitors who take me out as well as the activities provided. I can walk independently but it is tricky because I am a bit distorted but they [staff] encourage me to do what I can.” A second person told us, “I do just as I like, the garden is lovely and when the weather is fine that is where I will be.”

People had their own rooms which they could personalise with furniture and belongings. There was also a private room available for people and their relatives to use for such events as birthday celebrations and family gatherings.

Staff told us they had received training on equality and diversity, and they treated people with respect. One staff member told us, “I appreciate the staff and resident’s diverse needs. As a team we celebrate different cultures and religions. For example, the residents and staff go around the world picking places where we can explore their culture, dress up and eat their types of food. The chef will create a menu; this week it was Brazil. The residents really enjoy joining in.”

Staff promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff planned and facilitated a verity of activities to meet people’s needs and interests. People and their relatives spoke positively about the activities on offer and the staff that facilitated them. Comments included, “I love the music, but prefer to read otherwise”, “loads of people come in and the selection of activities looks interesting”, “I like when we get together during activities”, “[Loved one] loves to sing and to paint and I think [loved one] will join in other things in time”, and “I do Ti Chi and other things, it’s a nice place to live, I am happy with everything here. The food is very nice, and we get plenty.”

Throughout our assessment we observed people actively engaging in various activities such as book clubs, giant group scrabble, hand massage and manicure, Tai Chi exercises, quizzes and art and craft. In addition to in-house activities, staff also organised regular community outings, such as visits to parks, shopping trips and country drives. A person told us, “There are quite a few outings, tomorrow is Knole House.” Another person told us, “They [staff] make sure I know what is going on and that I have frequent garden trips.”

We saw that the provider was in the process of opening a new cinema room and activity room providing improved experiences for people. Staff told us they worked closely with a local church, and the priest frequently visited people to provided them with the opportunity to practice their faith. There were also live stream church services played on TVs in communal areas for people to attend should they wish to do so. Staff also worked closely with a local school and had arranged visits for students to engage with residents and to participate in activities with them such as carol singing and art and crafts. A relative told us, “The entertainment here is excellent. [Loved one] likes music very much.” Staff told us they celebrated events such as Pride, Black history month and religious holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Diwali and Eid.

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs promptly and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Throughout our assessment we observed staff were attentive and responsive to people’s needs and requests. We saw people had access to call bells and these were answered promptly by staff who were caring and empathic. A staff member told us, “There are enough staff to meet the resident’s needs, if a call bell goes off staff can get to people quickly, we are always on standby.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. Staff were supported to complete a range of training appropriate to the needs of the people they supported. The registered manager had appointed staff members as champions for areas such as safeguarding, dementia care, falls, infection control and oral health where extra training had been provided. The champions supported colleagues through peer mentoring, promoting best practice, and helping to embed specialist knowledge across the home

Staff told us they had access to a front-line service benefits scheme where they could enjoy a range of online and in-store discounts. They also had access to a confidential helpline for staff to call if they needed emotional support. There was also an employee of the month scheme. One staff member told us they had recently received the employee of the month award, they said, “I just was being myself, working as I always do, so I was very happy to know that my hard work was appreciated. The award will drive me to do more good work.”