During an assessment under our new approach
About the service
Waring Close is a care home. The registered service is across 3 smaller independent homes, all with their own kitchen, lounge, dining room and bathrooms for up to 5 or 6 people per accommodation. The independent homes were interconnected with garden space. There were 16 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
Who the service is for
This is a specialist service for people with a learning disability and autistic people. We have 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.
Although this was a larger service, we were assured the provider was delivering care in line with the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture. People lived in smaller, self-contained homes which promoted a homely environment and helped maintain a personalised approach to care and support. Each home had a dedicated staff team and team leader who knew people well and understood their individual needs, preferences and aspirations. Homes were personalised to reflect the people who lived there, with individualised décor, tailored menus and access to outdoor garden spaces. People also benefitted from dedicated wheelchair-accessible minibuses for each home, enabling them to access their local communities, maintain independence and take part in activities of their choosing. These arrangements helped ensure people experienced continuity of support, developed meaningful relationships with staff and received care that was centred around their individual lifestyles and preferences, rather than being influenced by the size of the overall service.
Our view of the service
We carried out this assessment on 9 September 2026. 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 enough safely recruited staff, who had the skills and knowledge to provide effective support. Staff consistently spoke positively about training and support available to them. One staff member told us, “The training is great, if we need it for the people we support the management facilitate it. We care currently attending a BSL course with a person we support to help us with their communication needs”
The provider had systems in place to support the safe management of medicines; however, these were not always implemented consistently. We identified concerns relating to medicines records, supporting documentation and the governance of medicines practices. Although regular audits were completed, these had not consistently identified the issues found during the inspection.
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 managers 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.
People's needs were thoroughly assessed before they moved into the service to ensure their care and support could be provided safely and effectively. Care was delivered in line with current legislation, best practice guidance, and evidence-based approaches to achieve positive outcomes for people. Staff worked with people and their representatives to identify their goals and aspirations, and care plans reflected these individual preferences and needs. There was a focus on positive risk taking to increase people’s independence, skills development, social and leisure links.
Staff consistently adopted a person-centred approach that recognised and respected people's identities, cultures, relationships and personal aspirations. Through creative and responsive support, people were enabled to maintain important connections, participate in meaningful experiences and achieve outcomes they valued. This contributed to a strong sense of belonging, inclusion and overall wellbeing. People received highly personalised support that reflected their individual interests, aspirations and needs. Staff took time to understand what mattered most to people and used this knowledge to provide meaningful opportunities that enhanced wellbeing, promoted independence and improved quality of life. A staff member told us, “We always go above and beyond for people who live here. Nothing is too much trouble. The managers support us with our suggestions and ideas to ensure people have the access to different experiences that mean something to them.”
The provider demonstrated a very strong commitment to equity, inclusion and accessibility. Staff worked proactively to identify and remove barriers, ensuring people had equal opportunities to communicate, participate in their communities, build relationships and achieve their goals. This approach supported people to remain actively involved in decisions about their lives and achieve outcomes that were meaningful to them.
The management team were supportive and approachable, and promoted a collaborative approach to continually learning and improving the service. Professionals were consistently positive about the service, and one told us, “We have a strong working relationship with the provider, they listen and take onboard all of our recommendations or directives”
The provider had governance and quality assurance systems in place; however, some monitoring processes had not consistently identified concerns, and governance arrangements did not always ensure leaders had a complete overview of risks, themes and actions. Opportunities to strengthen oversight, demonstrate learning and support sustained improvement were sometimes missed. Leaders told us they were committed to improving service delivery and responded promptly to strengthen governance arrangements.
The service was underpinned by a strong values-based culture that was embedded across all levels of the organisation. Leaders and staff demonstrated a commitment to learning, improvement and innovation, using feedback and reflection to enhance people's experiences and outcomes. This approach supported the delivery of personalised care, promoted inclusion and independence, and helped people achieve outcomes that were meaningful to them.