The Paddocks

Updated 22 July 2026

About the service

The Paddocks is a residential care home that was providing care and support to people with a learning disability. There were 5 people using the service at the time of the assessment.

Who the service is for

This is a specialist service for people living with a learning disability and autistic people. People who lived at The Paddocks shared a kitchen, lounge and dining area. This helped create a familiar home environment where staff support people in a more personal and flexible way.

We carried out this assessment on 29 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.

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 person-centred care and support from a staff team that knew them well and had developed positive, trusting relationships with them over time. Throughout the inspection, people were relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff, seeking reassurance, interaction and support in a natural way. Staff demonstrated an understanding of people's communication needs, preferences and interests and adapted their approach to meet individual needs. Communication guidance, pictorial tools and personalised support enabled people, including those who didn't use verbal communication, to express choices and remain involved in decisions about their lives. People were supported to access meaningful activities and pursue interests, promoting independence, wellbeing and quality of life.

The service demonstrated the principles of Right Support through person-centred care planning, positive behaviour support and reasonable adjustments that enabled people to achieve positive outcomes. Care plans clearly identified desired outcomes and the support required to achieve them. Staff worked proactively with healthcare professionals and partner agencies to ensure people could access healthcare effectively. People had experienced improved outcomes. These included reduced reliance on psychotropic medicines through STOMP (Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability and autistic people), increased participation in activities and greater confidence in accessing healthcare appointments.

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 that staff and management 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.

The service promoted Right Care by ensuring risks were assessed, reviewed and managed in a way that balanced safety with people's rights and independence. Staff understood safeguarding responsibilities and demonstrated a commitment to openness, learning and protecting people from harm. People’s health needs were closely monitored, medicines were managed safely, and specialist guidance from healthcare professionals was implemented consistently. Environmental adaptations, personalised risk assessments and positive behaviour support plans helped people remain safe whilst continuing to lead active and meaningful lives.

The service reflected Right Culture through a stable, consistent and caring staff team that placed people's rights, choices and aspirations at the centre of support. Leaders and staff shared clear values focused on promoting independence, dignity, equality and inclusion. One staff member said, “(They) are very approachable and very supportive if you have any questions.” People were actively involved in decisions affecting their lives, including aspects of their home environment, activities and recruitment processes. The provider demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement through regular auditing, partnership working and responding to feedback. Staff embraced learning and innovation to improve outcomes and reduce barriers for people. This created an inclusive culture where people were supported to have choice and control, maintain relationships and experience lives that reflected their preferences and goals.

Updated 22 July 2026

We gathered feedback from people living at the service, observed interactions between people and staff, and spoke with relatives and those important to people’s lives. Throughout the assessment, people appeared relaxed, comfortable and at ease in their home. People sought support and interaction from staff in a relaxed and confident way, reflecting positive and trusting relationships. Staff understood people’s individual communication needs, preferences and routines and adapted their support accordingly, enabling people to make choices and remain involved in decisions about their daily lives. People were supported in a way that promoted their independence, emotional wellbeing and quality of life.

Feedback about the service was overwhelmingly positive. One person described The Paddocks as, “The best place in the world” and another commented on the home, saying, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Relatives consistently told us people were happy, well cared for and received good support. Comments included, “I’ve never seen her anything but happy, they understand the customer very well indeed,” and “They’re dressed and looked after. Medical care is great.” One relative described the atmosphere within the home as, “A lovely happy family.”

Relatives told us staff knew people well and provided personalised support that reflected their individual needs and preferences. One relative said, “They know how to make him feel more comfortable in situations that make him anxious.” while another told us staff were, “willing to understand (person’s) needs and that is what is most important.” Family members described staff as understanding people’s personalities and interests, commenting that they, “have an understanding of (person’s) likes, dislikes and appreciate his sense of humour.” Feedback demonstrated people were treated as individuals and supported in ways that respected what mattered most to them.

People and their relatives told us they were involved in decisions about care and support. One relative said, “(The manager) tries to get me involved as much as I can. I attend meetings, if I can't attend, I'll email.” Another relative told us, “We are very involved in (person’s) care and support.” Relatives also described how staff respected people’s choices and control over their daily lives, commenting, “If he doesn't want to do anything they won't push him.” This showed people were supported to make meaningful choices and have their wishes respected.

Relatives spoke positively about the consistency of support and leadership at the service. They told us regular staff made a difference because they knew people well, with one relative saying, “If you have the regular staff, it does make things a lot easier.” Others praised the registered manager and improvements they had seen, commenting, “Since (Manager) has taken over, she's done an absolutely marvellous job,” and, “we believe the service is managed very well since she took over. We have also noticed personal touches to the home to make it feel welcoming and homely.” Relatives described staff as caring and supportive, stating, “They care about what they are doing, all very supportive,” and “They do most of it really, really well. They do a really good job.”

People were also supported to enjoy meaningful experiences and opportunities. Relatives described positive changes which had increased people’s opportunities and quality of life, including holidays and activities. One relative told us, “Since (manager) has been there, she's actually taken them on holiday as well, which I can't remember them doing before.” This reflected how people were supported to lead fulfilling lives and access experiences that were important to them.