The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

The Farmhouse

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Heath Farm, Heath Road, Ashby De La Launde, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN4 3JD (01526) 322444

Provided and run by:
Autism Care (UK) Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 16 to 24 October 2025 with an on-site visit taking place on 16 October 2025.

The Farmhouse is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 8 people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of the assessment there were 7 people living at the service.

This was a responsive assessment to follow up on a previous breach of regulation regarding safe care and treatment. Improvements were found at this assessment, and the provider was no longer in breach of the regulations.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, Right care, Right culture’ guidance to make judgments about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people have respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

The Farmhouse provided a supportive environment and staff demonstrated a good level of safeguarding knowledge. Risks were well assessed and managed, with emphasis on independence and emotional wellbeing. Staffing and recruitment were robust, and training aligned with individual needs. However, maintenance tracking and timeliness required improvement to ensure a consistently safe environment. Infection prevention and control had significantly improved since the last inspection. The environment was visibly clean, supported by effective audits.

People’s needs were assessed and regularly reviewed, with support plans reflecting personal preferences and goals. Evidence-based and good practice approaches were embedded. Staff collaborated with external professionals which supported continuity of care. Health management was proactive, with access to routine and specialist services, and staff responded promptly to emerging concerns. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) was well understood and applied, with documented best interest decisions and independent advocacy available when needed.

Support plans outlined what mattered to each person and how staff could help them lead meaningful lives. Staff promoted choice and independence, used preferred communication methods, and allowed time for decision-making. Staff knew those they supported well and worked collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes.

During an assessment under our new approach

This assessment was conducted between 10 December 2024 and 17 January 2025. The assessment was undertaken following information of concern we received. At this assessment we looked at 2 quality statements within the key question of safe.

The Farmhouse provides accommodation and personal care for up to 8 people with learning disabilities and autistic people. At the time of our assessment there were 7 people living at the service.

At the last inspection the key question of safe was rated good. At this inspection the key question of safe has changed to requires improvement.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about the services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

People were at risk from poor infection, prevention and control (IPC) arrangements and a poorly maintained environment. Not all risks related to IPC and the environment had been assessed or effectively managed.

We found 1 breach of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

26 February 2020

During a routine inspection

About the service

The Farmhouse is a residential care home providing accommodation and care to six people with a learning disability and/or autism at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to eight people.

The Farmhouse is an adapted house situated on a campus style service in rural Lincolnshire. There are several other houses located on the same site and a shared administration office. People living at The Farmhouse have their own room and access to a range of shared facilities. They can also use a range of facilities in the grounds of the complex.

The service follows the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Staff received supervision and appraisal; however, they were not always up to date with their training requirements. Following the inspection the registered manager took immediate action to expedite the action plan they had in place to address this.

Staff were kind and caring in their approach and people were relaxed and happy in their company. Staff were very knowledgeable about the needs and preferences of the people they supported; they were skilled at interpreting people’s wishes when they were not able to express themselves clearly verbally.

Where people received support with their meals, staff did so effectively and in line with dietary requirements. People had access to ongoing healthcare support and staff liaised effectively with other services to achieve this.

Staff assessed risks to people’s health and safety and had the knowledge to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. Relatives felt their family members were safe at the service. Safe processes were in place for the management of people’s medicines. Staffing levels were planned to meet people’s care and support needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. They felt well supported by the registered manager and the management team. They were committed to improving the service provided and to increasing the involvement of people using the service and independent organisations to obtain feedback and implement improvements.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 25 October 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

29 September 2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 29 September 2017. We gave the service a short period of notice. This was because the people who lived there had complex needs for care and benefited from knowing in advance that we would be calling. Most of the people who lived in the service had special communication needs and used personal versions of sign assisted language to express themselves.

The Farmhouse is registered to provide accommodation and care for eight people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were eight people living in the service.

The service was run by a company. There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run. In this report when we speak about both the company who ran the service and the registered manager we refer to them as being, ‘the registered persons’.

At the last inspection on 28 October 2014 the service was rated as being, ‘Good’.

At this inspection we found the service remained, ‘Good’.

Care staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse including financial mistreatment. People had been supported to take reasonable risks while also being helped to avoid preventable accidents. Medicines were safely managed. There were enough care staff on duty and background checks had been completed before new care staff had been appointed.

Care staff had been given training and they knew how to care for people in the right way. People were supported to contribute to making their own meals and they were helped to eat and drink enough. In addition, the registered persons had ensured that people received all of the healthcare assistance they needed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with compassion and respect. Care staff recognised people’s right to privacy and promoted their dignity. People had been supported to access independent lay advocates and confidential information was kept private.

Care staff had involved people and their relatives in making decisions about the care that was provided. People had been supported to be as independent as possible and they were given reassurance if they became distressed. In addition, they had been helped to pursue a wide range of hobbies and interests. There were arrangements for quickly and fairly resolving complaints.

People had been consulted about the development of their home and quality checks had been completed. Good team working was promoted and care staff had been enabled to speak out if they had any concerns.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

28 October 2014

During a routine inspection

We inspected The Farmhouse on 28 October 2014. The inspection was unannounced. The last inspection took place on 5 April 2011 during which we found there were no breaches in the regulations.

The Farmhouse provides care and support for up to eight people who experience learning disabilities and needs within the autistic spectrum. It forms part of a larger complex of homes provided by Autism Care (UK) Limited, in the Scopwick area of Lincolnshire. Eight people lived at the home at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves or others. At the time of the inspection seven people who used the service had their freedom restricted and the provider had acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, DoLS.

People felt happy, comfortable and safe living in The Farmhouse.

People were involved in planning and reviewing their support wherever they were able to be. There were systems in place to protect their rights when they were unable to make a decision about their support. They could be assured their safety needs were met because there were clear systems in place for assessing and monitoring risk and staff were knowledgeable about those systems.

People were supported by staff who were well trained, supported and knowledgeable about their preferred lifestyles. Staff were aware of how to raise any concerns on behalf of the people they supported and felt comfortable and supported to do so.

People’s wishes, preferences and needs were responded to individually. We saw examples throughout our inspection of warm, respectful and dignified interactions between people and the staff who supported them. People were encouraged and supported to pursue the activities, hobbies and interests that had meaning for them. They also benefitted from good access to healthcare services and nutritional arrangements.

There was an open and supportive culture within the home which allowed every one to take part in the planning and delivery of services. There was a monitoring system in place which used a variety of ways to gather information about the quality of the services provided. The information was used by the provider, manager and staff to learn lessons and make improvements which would enhance people’s experience of the support provided.

17 February 2014

During a routine inspection

We used a number of different ways to help us understand the experiences of people. This was because people had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us directly about their experiences of care and support.

Before we undertook our visit we reviewed all of the information we had about the service. During our visit we observed the support people received and spoke with staff about the work they did.

Throughout our visit we observed people were supported in a caring, respectful and dignified way. Staff responded to each person's way of communicating their needs, wishes and choices.

We found staff had been given the right amount of training and support which helped them understand peoples' complex needs. Staff told us they were confident in carrying out their roles.

People were provided with a variety of different food and drink that met their individual needs.

We looked at the statement of purpose and found this reflected the current service provision. Overall we found the service was well led and the home owner and manager had a system in place to respond to any concerns or complaints they received.

28 August 2012

During a routine inspection

We used a number of different ways to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service. This was because people had complex needs which meant that they were not able to tell us about their experiences.

We saw that people who lived in the home received individualised care and support, from staff that were knowledgeable about their needs, wishes and preferences.

Staff clearly understood each person's way of communicating their needs and wishes. They supported them to make choices and decisions about their lifestyles wherever they could do so.

4, 5 April 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

People were not able to tell us about their experiences. However we saw that they were being supported to take part in daily routines and individual activities of their choice. We saw that they have a wide range of activities to choose from.

They live in clean and comfortable surroundings, and are able to personalise the surroundings with things that they like.