The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Tony Long House

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

18 Shaplands, Casson Road, Swindon, SN3 4FF (01793) 821791

Provided and run by:
Sanctuary Home Care Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of assessment 18 May to 08 June 2026. Tony Long House is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for adults with sensory impairments, physical disabilities and learning disabilities. There were 6 people using the service at the time of the assessment.

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 services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. We identified the service was working in line with this guidance.

The service had consistent experienced leaders and staff who provided support to people both at the service and with accessing the community. Staff received good training which supported them to do their jobs well. The service was accessible for people and adaptations had been made, such as ceiling hoists to ensure people’s needs were met. Professionals and relatives were involved in people’s support and people’s wishes for their future had been written in care and support plans.

People had support plans which reflected their individual needs. People were supported to take their medicines safely, although we identified further improvement were needed to strengthen ‘as and when’ (PRN) medicines. The registered manager acted during the assessment to make improvements. Feedback from professionals working with the service was positive about how the service worked with them to meet people’s needs.

People and their relatives knew who they could speak with and raise concerns. Governance systems were effective in identifying areas for improvement and ensuring these were followed through. Staff felt able to speak openly and transparently with leaders and believed action would be taken as a result. Some staff gave example of when this had happened.

29 October 2020

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Tony Long House is a residential care home registered to provide personal care for up to six people with a learning disability. There were six people living at the service at the time of our visit.

We found the following examples of good practice.

The provider worked closely with the registered manager to ensure safety of people living at the service.

They would only allow a new admission after a confirmed negative result of the Covid-19 test of a person.

The number of occupied beds and layout of the service, enabled easier social distancing. The management were aware of zoning guidelines but did not need to implement it as no people were Covid-19 confirmed or suspected to date. The layout of the building was suitabale should barrier nursing be required.The provider ensured there was a sufficient stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the supplier ensured it complied with the quality standards. Staff had infection control training and understood and practiced the correct donning and doffing procedure.

People were supported by a stable and committed team of staff whom they knew well. This helped people to recognize the individual staff with the need to wear face masks.

Staff were well supported and praised the management team, comments included; "We have six, long term service users who know the staff really well. The staff have been amazing, so hard working.” The provider considered risks and impact of the inspection on the individual staff members, this included around their health conditions as well as their caring responsibilities.

Regular testing for Covid-19 took place for both people living at the service and the staff. There was a comprehensive contingency plan what to do in case of an outbreak.

The provider ensured people's relatives were able to get in touch with people. For example, by using technology and through controlled visits.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

22 November 2017

During a routine inspection

We undertook an unannounced inspection of Tony Long House on 22 November 2017.

The service provides personal care and support to six people with needs arising from either physical disabilities or a combination of learning and physical disabilities. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. On the day of our inspection six people were living at the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good overall.

Why the service is rated Good:

People remained safe living in the home. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and staff had time to spend with people. Risk assessments were carried out and promoted positive risk taking which enable people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines safely.

People continued to receive effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the procedures in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals when needed and staff worked closely with people's GPs to ensure their health and well-being was monitored.

The service continued to provide support in a caring way. Staff supported people with kindness and compassion. Staff respected people as individuals and treated them with dignity. People were involved in decisions about their care needs and the support they required to meet those needs.

The service continued to be responsive to people's needs and ensured people were supported in a personalised way. People's changing needs were responded to promptly. People had access to a variety of activities that met their individual needs.

The service was led by a registered manager who promoted a service that put people at the forefront of all the service did. There was a positive culture that valued people, relatives and staff and promoted a caring ethos.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and looked for continuous improvement. There was a clear vision to deliver high-quality care and support and promote a positive culture that was person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering which achieved good outcomes for people.

10 & 11 February 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on the 10th and 11th of February 2015 and was unannounced.

The service provides personal care and support to six people with needs arising from either physical disabilities or a combination of learning and physical disabilities. Limited personal care support is also provided on a domiciliary care basis to four people living independently in the adjacent flats.

The service is required to have a registered manager and one was 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.

People in the service were actively involved in making decisions about their care and were asked for their consent before being supported. Relationships between staff and people were relaxed and positive.

People chose how they wanted to spend their time. They had a wide range of opportunities to take part in activities and events and could access the community when they wished.

Prospective staff were subject to appropriate checks of their suitability and received the training and support they needed to carry out their role and to keep people safe.

The service responded flexibly to people’s individual wishes and changing needs and sought support from health and wellbeing specialists when necessary. People’s dignity and privacy were respected and supported by staff.

If concerns or issues were raised they were addressed and people felt the manager and staff were approachable and listened to their point of view. People’s views had also been sought through surveys and resident’s meetings.

The format of care plans was being revised to one which was more focused on the individual and better reflected their wishes and choices. The manager and provider carried out a series of audits to monitor the operation of the home and action was taken to address any issues identified.