Fernside Hall Care Home

Dates of assessment were from 24 March to 22 April 2026. The assessment was carried out to follow up on risk. We made visits to the service on 24 and 31 March 2026, and 1 April 2026. Fernside Hall is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 24 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people living at the service.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment, person-centred care and good governance. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.

People’s safety was maintained because there were good systems in place for reporting and responding to accidents, incidents, complaints, and safeguarding concerns. Where risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified, these had been assessed, managed and reviewed as needed. Staff were recruited safely and received the training and support they needed. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs. Staff reported a much-improved morale due to consistent leadership and support. Medicines were managed safely. Improvements had been made in relation to the safety of the environment, although some further work was needed.

Staff maintained effective partnership working with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s care met their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.

Some improvements were needed to make sure people were involved in the assessment of their needs, and that care plans accurately reflected these needs, particularly when they first moved into the service. Work was ongoing to promote person centred care and make sure that, wherever possible, people were at the centre of their care and fully involved in the development and review of their care plans.

We observed positive interactions between staff and people, and staff treated people with dignity and respect.

The management team completed regular audits and checks of the quality and safety of the service although some improvements were needed to make sure environmental issues were identified and addressed in a timely way. The management team were accessible and approachable and were committed to a learning culture, involving staff at all levels to drive improvements at the service.

This service has been in Special Measures since 4 September 2025. The provider demonstrated improvements that have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Dates of assessment were from 28 May 2025 to 25 June 2025. The assessment was triggered in response to risk and included visits to the service on 28 May and 4 and 12 June 2025. Fernside Hall is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 24 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people living at the service.

We identified breaches of regulation relating to safeguarding, safe care and treatment, person-centred care and good governance. There was a significant lack of oversight at the service and quality assurance systems and processes were ineffective. People’s care was not always person-centred, risks to people were not managed safely and people were not always protected from abuse and improper treatment. Medicines were not managed safely. Infection control procedures were not always implemented. There was a failure to identify, monitor and address shortfalls relating to the experiences of people which meant poor standards of care were widespread.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to some of the concerns found at this assessment. In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.

This service is being placed in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.