- Care home
The Highlands
Assessment report published 15 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
We carried out this assessment of The Highlands on 3 and 6 August 2026. The Highlands is a care home that provides personal care for up to 14 people with physical disabilities and learning disabilities. At the time of our assessment there were 12 people living at The Highlands and 1 person receiving respite care.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
People received safe, effective and well-coordinated care that reflected their personal needs and choices. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures and felt assured that concerns reported through the appropriate channels would be addressed.
The provider worked closely with people and their families to assess needs and develop personalised care plans. Detailed care plans and risk assessments supported consistent care delivery and were regularly updated to ensure they continued to reflect people’s evolving needs, preferences and goals.
Good communication between staff and the management team helped ensure people received consistent, well-coordinated support. Staff were recruited safely and received the training, supervision and support required to carry out their roles.
Medicines were managed safely and given as prescribed. Staff could clearly explain the appropriate procedures to follow in the event of an error or medical emergency.
Effective governance systems provided oversight of safeguarding and incident management. Concerns were reviewed regularly, learning from incidents was captured and disseminated to the wider team, and actions were taken to drive improvements in practice.
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our assessment there was not a registered manager in post.
People's experience of this service
People and relatives spoke positively about the staff who supported them, describing them as kind, reliable and respectful. They told us staff listened to them, valued their views and delivered care in line with their preferences and wishes.
Relatives told us they were made welcome when they visited the home. One relative said, “Staff are friendly and approachable towards [person] and family members.”
People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity, and they felt comfortable when being supported with their personal care needs. Relatives told us they felt reassured their loved ones were safe, well supported and treated with dignity and respect at all times.
We used SOFI (Short Observational Framework for Inspection) to observe people's experiences.
Interactions between people and staff were warm, friendly and respectful. We observed people engaging comfortably with staff, enjoying conversations and supporting one another in a relaxed environment. The service benefited from a stable staff team, which had enabled meaningful and trusting relationships to develop over time. One long-serving staff member told us, “The best thing about working here is that we (staff and people) have grown up together,” highlighting the strong sense of connection and continuity within the service.
People were encouraged to maintain relationships that were important to them. The service hosted regular social afternoons, providing opportunities for people using the service and their relatives to come together, share experiences, discuss issues and strengthen relationships.