- Care home
Five-Ways
Assessment report published 27 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
The service is a care home for up to 3 people. There were 3 people living there at the time of the assessment.
This is a specialist service for people aged 18 and above with a learning disability or who have a brain injury and autistic people.
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 received respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
We carried out this assessment between 28 July and 7 August 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.
People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. Risks were assessed and people were involved in this. Systems operated to safeguard people from abuse. There were effective processes for reporting, investigating and acting upon incidents and safety concerns. Medicines were administered safely and the provider’s systems ensured the environment was safe.
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 staff and managers worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and the registered manager contacted supervising authorities as needed.
People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions; they had choice, control and freedom over their lives. People were at the centre of choices about their care. The registered manager and staff promoted equity of experience for people, ensuring they did not face unfair barriers to their chosen activities or use of community facilities. There were ample opportunities for people to share their views, ideas and concerns about their care, through talking with staff, the registered manager and senior leaders.
People and their families, where appropriate, were meaningfully involved in assessing their needs and planning and reviewing their care. The registered manager and staff knew people well and understood was important to them. They were mindful of how changing health needs might impact on this.
The registered manager and staff treated people kindly and respectfully, upholding their dignity and respecting their privacy. They promoted people’s independence as far as possible, recognising where people might need additional support to continue doing things that were important to them.
There were clear and effective governance arrangements to maintain and develop the quality of the service provided. The registered manager had fostered an open, inclusive culture at Five-Ways. The registered manager and staff were clear about their responsibilities and what was expected of them.
People's experience of this service
We spent time with people living at Five-Ways, speaking with them and observing how staff interacted with them. We also received some feedback from families and viewed feedback the registered manager had received.
There was a relaxed, homely atmosphere throughout our visits, with chatter and laughter as well as quieter, more relaxed times. People told us they liked living at Five-Ways and that the staff were always kind. They looked comfortable with each other and with staff, including the registered manager and the provider’s operations manager who visited during the inspection. They knew the visiting manager and spent time chatting with her.
The registered manager and staff knew people very well. This included understanding how people preferred to live their lives at Five-Ways and in the wider community. They respected people’s choices, including their food preferences, whilst supporting people to enjoy diets suitable for their health conditions, and encouraging them to try new things sometimes.
All three people living at the service enjoyed getting out and about, especially going on trips out to places of interest. They chose the destinations with staff, and we heard how they had particularly enjoyed a daytrip to a famous venue in Cornwall. In fact, we were fortunate to be able to undertake the inspection when we did because the service’s vehicle was being repaired; when it is available, there is often no-one at home.
Staff were aware of subjects that people could find difficult or upsetting. They recognised early signs that suggested someone might feel unsettled. We observed them responding promptly, compassionately and unobtrusively to support the person in the way they needed. This enabled the person to remain calm, and we later observed them reminiscing with staff about events that had happened years ago and laughing about how expensive similar things would be nowadays.