- Care home
Ormesby House
Assessment report published 12 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Ormesby House is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 10 autistic people and people with a learning disability. This assessment took place on 22 and 24 September 2026 and at the time of the assessment, 10 people were living at the service.
This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
Care plans contained detailed information about people’s health conditions, wellbeing, preferences and communication needs. Individual risk assessments were in place, however some did not consistently include all information required to guide staff practice. Leaders acknowledged these concerns and took prompt action to update risk assessments.
We found that records contained personalised guidance outlining different approaches to take, depending on how the person presented and their individual needs at the time. Staff worked closely with a range of healthcare professionals and ensured people attended appointments to support their ongoing health and wellbeing.
Staff followed recognised best practice to meet people’s nutritional needs. For example, where people were assessed to be at risk of choking, staff ensured food was prepared to the correct consistency and texture.
Leaders promoted a positive and inclusive culture that placed people at the centre of their care. Staff told us leaders were approachable and supportive. Safe recruitment practices were in place. Records showed the provider completed appropriate employment checks and ensured staff had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs.
Medicines were administered safely, with systems in place for storing and administering medicines. Care plans contained clear guidance for staff on when ‘as required’ medicines should be administered. Staff described how they responded to people’s non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, gestures and changes in behaviour when assessing whether medicines may be required.
The provider had systems in place to review and learn from incidents. Staff understood their responsibilities for reporting concerns and felt there was good communication through team meetings and daily handover meetings when lessons had been learnt.
Governance systems provided effective oversight of quality, safety and performance within the home. Leaders completed audits and monitoring to identify risks to people using the service. Equipment and facilities were regularly checked to ensure they remained safe. Records showed actions identified from these checks were monitored and completed promptly.
Leaders and staff were committed to improving people’s experience through new opportunities, such as sensory based activities and community projects.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We found that staff and leaders worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen.
People's experience of this service
We received positive feedback from people and relatives about their experience using the service. We observed interactions between staff and people to understand the experiences of people who were less able to communicate verbally.
We saw positive and caring interactions between staff and people. Staff spoke about people with warmth and compassion. Staff offered people choices wherever possible and used non-verbal methods of communication when required.
People told us they enjoyed living at Ormesby House and described staff as kind and supportive. One person told us, “I love it here very much” and described activities they enjoyed in their community. Another person told us staff were “very nice” and described how staff helped them with things that were important to them.
People were involved in activities within the home and in the wider community, such as horse riding, theatre projects and religious activities. Care records provided examples of people being supported to develop skills, such as cooking, gardening and household tasks. Staff described how they supported people to independently complete tasks, whilst ensuring they remained safe.
Relatives told us staff knew people well and responded appropriately when concerns were raised. They described the home as welcoming and felt involved in reviews and discussions about people’s care. One relative told us, "They do take care of [person], that is the number one priority for me."
People were involved in quality assurance processes through quality checker roles and completed audits of areas such as food, health and safety and the home environment. The provider had clear procedures in place to support people to make comments and complaints. This ensured people’s views contributed to the ongoing development of the service.
Overall, people received person centred care from a skilled staff team. People were supported to live active and meaningful lives and pursue interests and aspirations that mattered to them.