- Care home
Mary House
Assessment report published 9 October 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Mary House is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 15 people. The service provides support to people with complex learning disabilities, autistic people, and people with physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 14 people using the service.
The service was last inspected in May 2023 and rated Requires Improvement. This inspection was planned to follow up on previous breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, and good governance. At this inspection we found sufficient improvements had been made and the provider had met the breaches of regulation.
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. The service was fully compliant with these principles.
There was a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and transparency. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. For example, medicine errors were taken seriously and extra training to support staff in safe medicine practices as the need arose. Risks to people were managed safely and enabled people with complex needs to take risks within a risk assessment framework. People were supported by a staffing team that were fully trained and who had been safely recruited into the service. The service was well maintained, clean and personal protective equipment (PPE) was used appropriately. Medicines were stored and administered safely.
People’s support needs were assessed prior to moving into the service and then regularly reviewed during their transition period and then monthly unless a health need was identified. The service worked well with other health and social care professionals to ensure good outcomes for people. People’s independence was encouraged, and people were supported to make simple decisions about their daily lives. Some people were supported with complex decisions and mental capacity assessments that were decision specific were in place, as were Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
Staff treated people with kindness and respect. People were encouraged and enabled to be as independent as possible supported by dedicated and committed staff. Staff welfare and support was respected by the registered manager and staff told us they felt supported.
Care was person centred and people that were non-verbal had a variety of ways that they could communicate, supported by a staff team that knew them well. People could engage in whatever activities they chose and were supported to go out into community for events and trips.
The registered manager had a clear vision of the future of the service with people’s care and supporting them to lead their best lives, at the centre of future plans. Robust governance processes were in place and systems for sharing good practice and learning from when things went wrong, were shared with staff. Equality and diversity policies were in place and processes upheld with people’s difference being celebrated.
People's experience of this service
People who lived in Mary House were unable to communicate verbally and therefore we spent time with people observing interactions Our observations told us that staff supported people in a kind, and respectful manner, and that people were happy, relaxed and content to be with the staff.People were treated with understanding and compassion, staff were able to assess people’s moods and how they were feeling through their own observations, because they knew them well.
Families told us, “I am really happy with the care, communication has improved and I know my loved one is safe, and that means everything to me, I can relax knowing that,” “ I am really pleased with Mary House, they are very caring and keep me informed, when I visit I am welcomed, my loved one is settled and happy.” We were also told, “Definitely improved, there is a lot more going on, staff are happy in their work and that makes everyone happy,” and “It’s a safe and caring home, they are healthy and well looked after.”