'Unsafe' care home placed in special measures

A care home that failed to follow safety rules has been rated "inadequate" by inspectors and placed in special measures.

Friary House, in Weymouth, Dorset, was previously judged to be "good" at its last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2021.

The CQC said the service was praised by residents, families and professionals, but poor record-keeping and regulation breaches made it unsafe.

Owner Peter Fry, of Friary Care Ltd, apologised and said issues were being rectified.

The CQC, which visited in February and March, said 16 older people were living at the home, some with dementia.

A health professional told inspectors the home was "welcoming and homely" while a resident said: "I could not be in better hands."

However, the CQC identified numerous system failures.

There were insufficient risk assessments, care plans and incident reviews, inspectors said.

The home did not provide consistent staff training or background checks, although turnover was low and agency workers were not used, the CQC added.

Regional deputy director Neil Cox said: "We discovered that water hygiene risks, including those related to harmful bacteria such as legionella, hadn't been assessed.

"A risk assessment was only carried out after our visit, uncovering urgent actions."

However, inspectors said residents were treated with "kindness, empathy and compassion".

One resident became mobile enough to spend Christmas at home with their family after asking to be taken to a weekly slimming club and given special meals, the CQC was told.

The report added: "Professionals generally told us that the provider works well with them, contacts them and follows the advice they provided.

"While people and relatives expressed a general satisfaction with the care, our assessment found elements of care did not meet the required standards."

In a statement, Mr Fry said: "At Friary Care we pride ourselves on delivering the best possible care to our residents.

"That is why we would like to sincerely apologise that, as an outcome of a recent CQC inspection, Friary House has been rated as inadequate.

"Please be assured that Friary Care has already taken immediate action to rectify issues highlighted by CQC.

"We would like to thank all of the residents, their families, staff, and all professional bodies for their words of encouragement and continued support."

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