- Care home
Wickett Hern Road
Assessment report published 29 July 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Our view of the service
About the service
Wickett Hern Road is a residential care home. People visit the service for short term respite stays and for support during transitions to community-based services.
Who the service is for
This service supports people with learning disabilities and autistic people. There were 4 people living in the service at the time of the inspection.
We 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 most people take for granted. We were assured the service provided care in line with this guidance.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 13 and 15 July 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.
Accidents and incidents were logged, reviewed and analysed to identify opportunities for service improvement. We had a discussion with the registered manager about submitting notifications to CQC and learning was identified and immediate action taken. There were clear processes in place for reporting concerns about safety and the service submitted concerns to the local authority appropriately. A member of staff told us, “I have access to safeguarding policies. If I suspected abuse, I would first make sure the person was safe, I would act in a calm manner, listen but also tell them I am unable to keep secrets. I would report my concerns to the person in charge of the shift. I understand I can escalate my concerns to the safeguarding team and, if the situation warranted it, call the emergency services.” People’s care plans were person-centred, and appropriate risk assessments were in place. The care environment was clean and well-maintained. There were sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff available to support people. Administration of medicines was managed safely and there were clear processes in place to review and monitor controlled drugs.
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 members of staff and the management team 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 care plans were reviewed regularly, and daily notes reflected the support and care provided. People’s consent to care was recorded in their care plans and their choices and decisions were respected.
Members of staff were kind and caring. They treated people with respect and supported them to make choices and maintain their independence. A member of staff told us, “We uphold people’s wishes, treating them as we would want to be treated if accessing a service. We are approachable and allow people to be involved in decision-making processes. We give choice and ensure we follow people’s wishes.” We observed people making meaningful choices and decisions throughout our visit to the service. For example, people arranged to catch the bus to local leisure facilities for the afternoon.
People’s care was person-centred and unique to each individual. Rooms contained people’s personal belongings which reflected their individual tastes and preferences. There was a clear process for making complaints and people told us they could speak to members of staff or the registered manager if they had any concerns.
The service was well-led by leaders at all levels throughout the service. Members of staff were empowered to lead and make decisions within a clear framework of policies, processes and guidance. The registered manager had reflected on a recent inspection of another service within the provider group and developed a checklist to enhance the capturing of evidence of governance processes within the service. The governance developments were in line with CQC’s key questions for inspection.
People's experience of this service
We were able to engage and talk with the people who were living in Wickett Hern Road. They told us they were happy and felt safe living in the service. We observed people making phone calls and travel arrangements independently which supported them to access the local community and community leisure facilities. People were playing on games consoles and listening to music. There was a positive and relaxed atmosphere in the service. One person said, “I am happy, I feel safe and I can make choices.”
People told us they knew how to raise concerns about safety of the service with members of staff, and we heard the registered manager was accessible to everyone for conversations about care, support and next steps.
People told us they were able to make decisions and choices about what they wanted to do each day, what they wanted to eat and where they wanted to go if they chose to go into the local community. One person had recently had a new bicycle delivered because they wanted to do more cycling and explore the local area.
We observed people baking in the kitchen and helping members of staff to prepare their evening meal. People were able to choose where they wanted to eat. Some people chose to eat in their rooms, and some people chose to eat at the dining room table.
People were being supported to transition into community-based services locally. They confirmed they were looking forward to this next step, and they had been involved in transition planning to make the move successful.
Members of staff knew people well and engaged with them about their day, their choices and their routines. Throughout our site visits, we observed people being spoken to with respect and being supported to make choices and decisions. Positive risk taking was encouraged and supported through clear risk assessments and mitigation plans. For example, people were supported to make choices and decisions about overnight stays with friends away from the service and there were agreed processes in place to check on safety and wellbeing.