- Care home
Bridgewood House
Assessment report published 22 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Bridgewood House is a care home. At the time of our assessment the service was supporting 19 people living with learning disabilities and/or autism. This included 2 people living in their own bungalows within the grounds.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
We carried out this assessment on 30 September and 7 October 2026 this included an out of hours visit.
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.
People were supported by consistent staff who had the skills and knowledge to be able to support them safely. There were enough staff to support people safely. People had access to call bells and staff responded promptly. Safe recruitment processes were in place, and staff received a good induction, ongoing training, including access to apprenticeships and supervision. Care plans were highly person centred and provided clear guidance to staff on how to support people in accordance with their individual needs and preferences. Risks in relation to people’s health, safety and wellbeing were assessed and regularly reviewed. There were clear processes in place to report and monitor safeguarding events, and staff knew what to do if they thought someone was at risk of abuse or poor care. Medicines were managed safely and there were organised and safe systems in place.
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 checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives. This was reflected in our observations and feedback from staff and people. The service was well maintained, homely and clean with a safe and attractive accessible garden area.
People’s needs were robustly assessed before they started using the service. They were able to make visits to see if they thought the service was a place they would like to make their home. People’s capacity was assessed and where people lacked capacity best interest assessments were completed to fully consider any restrictions. Best practice guidance was followed to assess and monitor people’s health. Feedback from health professionals was good. After a person had needed hospital treatment an AE nurse fed back ‘The level of knowledge and person-centred understanding made a significant difference to the care we were able to provide. Staff also received a compliment from a specialist practitioner in palliative care who fed back, “Working in collaboration with them has always been a seamless process”
People were provided with choices of high-quality food and drink to meet their nutritional needs and preferences.
Staff knew people well and had developed warm, respectful relationships with them. Their approach and skilled communication demonstrated how they valued people as equals and promoted mutual respect. Staff consistently encouraged people’s independence and ensured their privacy and dignity were respected. Staff considered people’s emotions and gave people opportunity to express their feelings. This was particularly evident in the way staff supported people when a fellow person living at the service died.
Staff feedback was entirely positive. Their comments included, “I love working here. We have a great support network. A great staff team. It is a lovely place to work” and “The part of my job I like most is after I have helped a resident and they give me a smile. I feel overwhelmed and happy. I like that I am able to support them to live their lives independently. They are happy, we are happy.”
People received individualised and person-centred care and support tailored to meeting their needs and ensuring positive outcomes. People’s bedrooms were personalised and maintained in the way they wanted. There was a good range of activities and social events available and people’s friendships and relationships were supported. The provider actively listened to the views of people, relatives and staff and there were good processes which evidenced feedback was listened and responded to. A recent survey highlighted excellent feedback from people and relatives. Staff confirmed there was good communication through meetings and handovers.
There was a positive culture in the home. Throughout our assessment we observed staff in all roles working with professionalism and care. Comments from staff included, “It is a very good place to work. Right from when I started working here, there is a positive work culture. From provider down it is positive” and “We have training to make sure we deliver quality care.”
A range of robust audits and checks were in place to monitor quality and safety within the service. and action was taken where any improvements were needed. Staff told us the provider and registered manager were visible, approachable, responsive and that the service was well managed. One staff member said, “We are treated fairly and equally. There is equality here. The managers and the seniors treat everyone fairly.” There was a focus on ongoing improvement and ensuring fulfilling lives for people who used the service. The management team were responsive to the assessment process, were open to suggestion and implemented some changes during the assessment.
People's experience of this service
Feedback from relatives was consistent with our observations during the assessment. Relatives described overwhelmingly positive experiences of the care home, with people reported to be happy, settled and well supported. Families consistently described the service as a "home from home" and spoke about the positive impact it had on people's lives.
Relatives described significant improvements in wellbeing and independence after moving into the home. One family member said, "[Person] loves it, loves it," and explained that their relative had experienced "a new lease of life" since moving in. Another relative commented that staff had "most definitely helped [person] become more independent."
People were supported to take part in activities and community opportunities that reflected their preferences. Families highlighted the range of opportunities available, and the personalised approach taken by staff. One relative said, "There are lots of opportunities for people, it's incredible," while another noted that staff respected individual choices and preferences, saying, "They have tried to get [person] going to different things. They respect [their] choice. They always offer."
Families consistently praised the caring and compassionate nature of staff. They described staff as patient, kind, understanding and dedicated to getting to know people well. One relative said, "You have to spend time with [person] and listen and the staff do that. I can't praise them enough." Another described staff as "like professional family" who "have that extra something."
People were reported to be safe and well cared for. Relatives spoke positively about the support provided during periods of ill health and recovery. One family member told us, "[Person] is very safe." while another said, "They did brilliant supporting [Person], [they] recovered no problem" following a significant health event. Families also valued staff's proactive approach to monitoring health and responding to changes in people's needs.
Communication was consistently described as a strength of the service. Relatives said they felt listened to, informed and involved in decision-making. Comments included, "I am listened to and involved. It is important," and "They keep me involved all along the way. It's all in [person’s] care plan." Families reported regular contact regarding care planning and confidence that any concerns would be addressed promptly.
People were supported to make choices about their everyday lives, including their routines, activities, clothing and meals. One relative said, "They make sure people get a choice," while another valued that staff encouraged participation without placing pressure on people to do things they did not want to do.
Many relatives highlighted the welcoming atmosphere within the home. They said they were always made to feel welcome and could visit freely. Comments included, "It is home from home. The staff are lovely. They make me feel welcome," and "I am happy to visit. I can call and turn up any time. There are no restrictions."
Several families commented positively on the consistency and stability of staffing. One relative described this as a particular strength of the service, stating, "The one thing I love is the stability with regular staff across the board," and added, "The staff know [person] inside out."
Feedback about the environment was positive, with relatives describing the home as clean, comfortable and well maintained. One relative said, "The house is always clean and fresh. Never any smells." Others spoke positively about personalised bedrooms and adaptations made to meet changing needs.
People and their relatives praised the quality of meals and the choices available. One relative commented, "The meals are lovely," describing them as homemade with quality ingredients and noting that people were always offered choice.
Relatives knew how to raise concerns and felt confident that any issues would be listened to and acted upon. Families described managers and senior staff as approachable and responsive. Comments included, "They would address my concerns absolutely," and "They are very open. I would have no problem raising anything."
Suggestions for improvement were limited. One relative suggested that a dedicated activity room or additional creative activities could further enhance opportunities for people, although they emphasised that they were otherwise very satisfied with the service.
Overall, feedback described a caring, person-centred service that promoted wellbeing, independence, choice and quality of life. Relatives repeatedly expressed high levels of satisfaction, with comments such as "They provide a wonderful service," "I couldn't ask for anymore," and "I cannot find a negative in anything to do with [person’s] care." Many described the home as a place where people were genuinely valued, supported and able to live fulfilling lives.