Our current view of the service
Updated
19 August 2026
The assessment took place on 8 September to 8 October 2026. This assessment was carried out due to the age of the service’s previous rating.
The service provides support for autistic people and people with a learning disability. 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.
The home was clean, homely and personalised. People had access to their own bedrooms, communal living areas and kitchen facilities, which promoted choice, participation and opportunities to be involved in everyday activities.
Staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities and could clearly describe how they would recognise, report and escalate concerns, including to external organisations where necessary. They described an open culture where practice could be challenged and gave examples of concerns leading to changes.
People benefited from specialist input, including psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. Medicines, infection prevention and control, staffing and environmental safety arrangements were effective. People were supported to access healthcare, community opportunities and activities that were important to them. Accessible communication approaches helped people express their views and participate in decisions.
Leaders were visible, approachable and supportive. Staff felt listened to and able to contribute ideas and raise concerns. Governance and quality assurance systems were in place, and leaders demonstrated a commitment to improvement. Opportunities remained to strengthen how learning from incidents was analysed, embedded and evaluated, and how the impact of actions was monitored. Leaders had recognised these areas and were taking action to strengthen oversight and learning.
People's experience of the service
Updated
19 August 2026
Most people were unable to tell us directly about their experiences of care and support. We therefore spent time observing how people interacted with staff and how staff responded to their individual communication needs and choices. We also spoke with relatives to gain their views about the care and support their family members received.
Relatives were positive about the care and support provided. People were described as safe, well supported and cared for by staff who knew them well and understood their individual needs, preferences and communication styles. One relative told us, “[My family member] is loved and cared for by the staff,” whilst another said, “I am really happy with [the service] – I trust them.”
Relatives consistently described positive relationships between people and staff and told us staff took time to understand people as individuals. One relative said, “You can tell they care about [my family member] as a person,” and another described the support as “brilliant” with “really good communication with staff, good relationships with staff, lots of activities and transparency.”
People were supported to access a wide range of activities and community opportunities, including horse riding, swimming, theatre visits and community outings. Relatives described people as having meaningful opportunities and positive experiences which reflected their interests and preferences.
Relatives were positive about healthcare support and told us staff responded quickly when people became unwell. Several relatives described staff as knowledgeable about people's health conditions, including epilepsy, allergies and other health needs.
Relatives generally felt involved in reviews and decisions about care and support and described communication from the service as open and responsive. They felt concerns would be listened to and acted upon appropriately. One relative said, “If there is some problem it is easily rectified,” whilst another said, “Communication is wonderful, can go anytime and they welcome me in.”
Whilst feedback was overwhelmingly positive, some relatives identified isolated examples where communication, complaints handling or aspects of support could have been improved.