Friars Mead

Friars Mead, in Hertfordshire, provides accommodation and personal care for up to 27 people across two floors. The CQC rated the service Requires Improvement overall, finding breaches relating to recruitment, consent and governance. Inspectors found incidents and safeguarding concerns had not always been reported externally, risk assessments lacked clear guidance, mental capacity assessments were missing, and audits had failed to pick up these issues.

Despite this, staff were found to be kind and attentive, treating people as individuals and supporting their independence. People enjoyed tailored activities and good access to healthcare professionals, and relatives were happy with how the home was run. The mealtime experience was noted as task-focused, with monitoring charts not used for those at risk of poor food and drink intake.