- Care home
Highfield House
Assessment report published 16 June 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 2 April 2026 to 16 April 2026. The service is a residential home providing support to adults of all ages living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. This assessment was carried out due to the age of the current rating. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’. This guidance supported judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence and access to local communities that most people take for granted. There were vacancies in the staff team which led to inconsistences in how systems were followed, including record keeping and medicines administration. The reduced staffing capacity had led to a lack of opportunities for people to do things they enjoyed. The absence of a registered manager at the home gave reduced management capacity and inconsistencies in management processes. Staff training was not consistently up to date and governance systems were not always used effectively. Staff knowledge of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) was inconsistent, and relatives had mixed views about the environment.
However, people were supported to manage risks to their safety and lessons were learned when things went wrong. Staff protected people from abuse. Staff followed infection prevention control procedures. People’s health needs were met, and outcomes were monitored by staff using evidence-based assessment and planning tools. Staff sought consent before supporting people. People were supported by kind, caring staff who were responsive to their immediate needs. People received person-centred care and were supported to access care from other professionals when required. People had their communication needs met. Systems were in place to listen to feedback about the service. Staff supported people to access services and have equity in outcomes. There were systems in place to support people to plan for important life changes. The provider supported a diverse workforce. Staff understood how to speak up about concerns they may have.
People's experience of this service
People were observed to be comfortable with staff and were able to communicate their needs to the staff team. Relatives were involved in the planning and review of people’s care and they told us they were happy with the care people received and felt people were safe living at the service. However, they did raise concerns about the lack of leadership in the home.