The Haven

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.

This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.

The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to person centred care not working within the right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance that CQC expects providers to work within when supporting people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service scored 50 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider did not always treat people with kindness, empathy and compassion, or respect their privacy and dignity. Staff did not always treat colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

A person who has Parkinsons and is at risk of falls bed was reported as broken on 14 November 2025. Only one end of the bed could be raised, meaning the person was unable to raise the bed to aid their mobility while standing. When we visited on 20 July 2026 their bed was still broken, the provider had not ordered the replacement part that was identified as needed in November 2025. On day 1 of this assessment, we asked for the bed to be swopped for a vacant bed which was actioned on our second visit on 22 July. This means for 7 months the person was unable to raise their bed to the appropriate hight needed for their mobility needs, putting the person at risk of avoidable falls, harm and discomfort.

Some bedrooms overlook an unkept garden area which includes damaged fence, long grass and brambles. Others overlooked the large pile of waste which included old furniture, commodes, and general waste. Whilst talking to one person in their room we discovered their mattress was not suitable for their bed base, as a result the mattress was slipping from the base, exposing the person to sitting on the wooden base, putting the person at risk of avoidable falls, harm and discomfort.

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They did not always take account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

One family member said, “There is nowhere private to sit and talk to my relative, their room is not ideal because we can be overhead. The only private space is the garden, but staff are not aways available to assist us there and it isn’t suitable in the winter.”

A staff member said, “Sometimes people access activities such as shopping, going out for coffee, or appointments. Activities are planned according to people’s interests, abilities, and choices. People are encouraged to participate in activities, exercises and entertaining events.” However, we were also told that activities staff do not have the time needed to personalise activities for those who remain in their rooms.

We received mixed views, some people told us they had chosen to spend time in their rooms and this was a respected decision. Some people had their own hobbies and interests that they could independently manage such as writing or listening to music.
One person said, “The food is OK, I eat it all, if I don’t like something I tell them, and I can have something else.” Another person said, “I get on well with the chef, we talk about football, we get a good choice of foods.”

One family member said, “I feel once my [relative] is sat in a chair that is where they remain all day, my [relative] is not moved to eat at the table and if they are in a wheelchair that is where they will stay.”
Another family member said, “I’m always happy to help with activities, but there’s never really much going on, activities need to be fun and engaging. There is nothing activities wise for people with dementia.”

A member of staff said, “Activities at the home day to day seem non-existent, but there seems to be regular outside entertainment. Residents rarely leave the home except for appointments.”

Another staff member said, “I feel there could be more activities. I don’t really see much going on.”
With other staff saying, “people are supported to access the community regularly, depending on their individual needs, preferences, and care plans. Staff encourage people to maintain independence and take part in activities outside the home whenever possible.”

The provider did not always listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

We received mixed views from people and families which included, “Sometimes my relative is not dressed appropriately, missing socks for example.” And 1 person said, “I get excellent care from staff first thing in the morning, they are all very good and very polite.”

Another person said, “Staff are rushed off their feet, and don’t always have time to talk.”

We were also told it is not uncommon for the kitchen staff to not be given information about people’s changes to dietary needs or in the past people’s their allergies. This increased the risk to people who need modified diets to reduce the risk of choking or those with allergies.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, however this was not reflected in all areas of staff’s wellbeing for all employees.

For example, we received mixed feedback from staff, some spoke about segregation within the team and feeling isolated and bullied by others. While other staff spoke positively about training opportunities and teamwork.

One staff member said, “Training at the Haven is vast, far greater than I have received almost anywhere else, although it's mostly all online.” Another said, “I feel I have access to the training required for my role, and I am encouraged to complete mandatory training and develop my knowledge where appropriate.”

Another staff member said, “The team generally works well together. Staff support one another and communicate effectively to ensure people receive consistent care. Like any workplace, there can occasionally be challenges, but overall, the focus remains on providing the best support for the people who live at The Haven.”

A member of leadership team said, “Prior to this assessment, an organisational safeguarding review was completed in June 2026, which included staff consultation, supervision records, disciplinary records and bullying investigation records. That review identified workplace culture and communication as an area requiring improvement but concluded that the concerns identified were not systemic, with structured improvement actions recommended. This demonstrates that concerns had been recognised and were subject to governance processes."

Staff have access to an employee helpline, where they can speak openly and confidentially with external bodies when needed.
You can read more about the staff culture in the well-led section of this report.