- Care home
Tynedale House
Assessment report published 4 November 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Inspection: 25 September to 14 October 2026. Tynedale House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 30 people who have a learning disability and autism, some of whom also had physical disabilities and were living with dementia. The service is split into 3 units for up to 8 people and 1 respite unit for up to 6 people. At the time of the inspection there were 22 people using the service permanently and between 2 and 4 people were using the respite unit.
We inspected 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 found service was not consistently working within these principles, but the new registered manager and management team were proactively addressing this.
People received kind and compassionate care from staff who knew them well. Staff supported people in a respectful way. People told us they felt safe. Medicines and infection prevention and control were managed safely. There was a positive approach to safeguarding, learning from incidents and improving the service.
Staff worked effectively with health and social care professionals and responded promptly when people’s health needs changed. Professionals described staff as approachable, empathetic, responsive and proactive. There was evidence of positive outcomes for people, including improvements in communication, mobility, independence and their ability to make choices. People and relatives felt able to raise concerns, and relatives felt involved and kept informed about their family members’ care.
Although staff had developed positive and trusting relationships with people, the model of support did not always maximise people’s choice, control and independence. Staffing arrangements restricted opportunities for people to take part in activities, access their communities and develop independent living skills. This also meant staff were task-focused, with established routines rather than adapting their support to individual needs and preferences. For example, the night staffing arrangements had contributed to people becoming accustomed to going to bed before 9pm. Also, people could not routinely access unit kitchens, which reduced opportunities to develop everyday skills such as making their own drinks.
Some systems were not sufficiently individualised. Risk assessments did not always give staff person-specific guidance about how to support people to manage risks. People on each unit were offered the same menu choices and were not routinely involved in designing menus. Assessments and care records contained detailed information but did not always clearly explain how staff should use this information to meet each person’s individual needs. Records relating to restrictions and consent also needed to provide clearer evidence of decision-making and how people’s rights, wishes and autonomy were considered.
There was a positive and improving culture at the service. Staff were positive about the registered manager and described them as visible, approachable and supportive. Staff felt able to raise concerns and contribute ideas. The management team had good oversight of the service and had recognised areas requiring improvement. They were in the process of reviewing staffing levels, training requirements, risk assessments and opportunities for people to become more independent. Further work was needed to embed these improvements so people’s everyday experiences consistently reflected 'Right support, right care, right culture’.
People's experience of this service
People were positive about the care and support they received at Tynedale House. A person said, “They [staff] are great and I love them all.” People felt safe and described staff as kind, caring and helpful. Relatives found staff treated their family members with kindness, respect and compassion. We observed staff speaking with people politely and supporting them in an unhurried and respectful way.
People felt able to approach staff and the registered manager if they had concerns. They said staff listened and acted when they raised matters. Relatives felt involved in their family members’ care and were kept informed. A relative said, “We can’t fault them at all. Staff always let us know what is going on and are around to answer any queries we might have.” Staff responded when people’s health needs changed and worked with health and social care professionals to help people access appropriate support. Since moving to the service, people had made progress with their communication, mobility, wellbeing, independence and ability to make choices.
Some people were unable to share their views verbally, so we used structured observation to understand their experience. We observed warm and positive interactions between staff and people using the service. Staff had developed strong, trusting relationships with people and knew them well, enabling them to provide personalised support that reflected people's individual needs, preferences and goals.
People were involved in day-to-day decisions about their care and support and were encouraged to be involved in activities. Staff listened to people, supported them to make choices, and helped them complete things which were important to them. Relatives and professionals found the service had effectively supported people. A visiting professional said, “The Tynedale House team have taken time to get to know them, and to understand them.”
People and their relatives felt listened to and knew how to raise concerns. The registered manager and staff team were described as approachable and responsive, and relatives told us they were involved in their family member's care and kept informed about important changes. A relative said, “Staff have been brilliant. The new manager is easy to speak with and we would happily raise anything with them.”