- Care home
Collegiate House
Assessment report published 27 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
We carried out this assessment on 12 and 13 August 2026. We carried out this assessment to give the provider their first rating. The service is a residential care home, which can accommodate up to 8 people. There were 4 people using the service at the time of our assessment.
An assessment has been undertaken of a specialist service that is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. We have 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 respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. The service was meeting the principles of Right support, right care, right culture’.
The service demonstrated an outstanding person-centred approach, with a strong culture of learning, continuous improvement, and partnership working. Staff used detailed analysis of incidents and behaviours to develop tailored support strategies, resulting in significant improvements in people's well-being, independence, social inclusion, and quality of life.
People were safeguarded by a positive and open culture where they felt safe and well supported. Risk management was highly personalised, promoting independence while reducing harm through innovative approaches, proactive interventions, and close collaboration with families and professionals.
The service provided safe transitions, maintained detailed and effective care records, and was highly regarded by external professionals. People benefited from a stable, skilled staff team, comprehensive training, and strong leadership that promoted high-quality care and staff development.
The environment was safe, well maintained, and adapted to meet individual needs, while infection prevention measures were robust. Medicines were managed exceptionally well, with regular reviews helping to reduce unnecessary medication and improve people's well-being and independence.
The service provided highly personalised, effective care that was regularly reviewed and adapted to meet people's changing needs, preferences and goals. People and families were actively involved in care planning, and detailed records supported staff to deliver consistent, person-centred support that promoted choice, independence and wellbeing.
Care was delivered in line with evidence-based practice, with strong involvement from healthcare professionals and specialist services. Staff worked proactively to address health needs, followed professional guidance, and received specialist training to ensure people achieved positive outcomes while reducing restrictive practices.
There was a strong culture of teamwork and partnership working. Staff, families and professionals collaborated effectively to ensure coordinated, holistic care, helping people access specialist support and achieve meaningful improvements in communication, health and emotional well-being.
People were supported to live healthier lives through personalised health promotion, increased access to healthcare, healthy lifestyle initiatives, physical activities and ongoing support with areas such as weight management and oral health. This resulted in measurable improvements in both physical and mental well-being.
The provider had effective systems to monitor progress and outcomes, with people making positive achievements in areas including independence, health, community participation and personal goals. People's rights, choices and consent were consistently respected, with staff using creative and accessible approaches to support decision-making and uphold independence, dignity and control over their lives.
Staff delivered highly personalised, responsive care that was tailored to people's individual needs, preferences, goals and aspirations. Staff knew people exceptionally well and supported them to live meaningful lives through a wide range of activities, education, employment opportunities and community involvement, while ensuring people remained in control of decisions about their daily lives.
Care was well coordinated and regularly reviewed with people, families and professionals to ensure support remained effective and responsive to changing needs. Strong communication systems, detailed care planning and accessible information enabled people to make informed choices, express their views and actively participate in decisions about their care.
The provider actively listened to feedback from people and used it to make meaningful improvements to both the service and individuals' quality of life. People were empowered through advocacy, involvement in recruitment, regular reviews and opportunities to influence how the service operated.
Staff worked proactively to remove barriers and promote equality, inclusion and access to healthcare, education, employment and community opportunities. People were supported to develop relationships, maintain community connections, explore their identities and achieve outcomes that were important to them.
The service was exceptionally well led, with strong, visible and supportive leadership that promoted a positive, person-centred culture. Staff felt valued, respected and well supported, with high morale, effective teamwork and a shared commitment to delivering outstanding outcomes for people.
Leaders were approachable, knowledgeable and highly regarded by people, relatives and staff. They maintained strong oversight of the service, promoted open communication and created an environment where everyone felt comfortable raising ideas, concerns and feedback. This openness contributed to a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring both people and staff were treated fairly and supported to achieve their full potential. Staff described an inclusive workplace where they felt respected, listened to and empowered.
Governance arrangements were highly effective, with comprehensive auditing, quality assurance and performance monitoring systems used to maintain high standards and drive service improvements. Leaders used feedback, reviews, incidents and outcomes data to identify learning opportunities and improve people's experiences and quality of life.
Partnership working was a key strength, with excellent relationships maintained with families, professionals and community organisations. These partnerships helped people access meaningful opportunities, build relationships, stay connected to their communities and achieve positive outcomes.
The service also demonstrated a strong culture of learning, innovation and continuous development. Quality improvement activities consistently focused on enhancing people's independence, wellbeing and quality of life, ensuring care remained responsive, person-centred and outcome focused.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with people who used the service to gather their feedback, we also spoke with relatives on site and via the telephone. We observed staff supporting people, and we sought feedback from professionals who worked with the service.
The service delivered exceptionally kind, compassionate and person-centred care. Staff developed strong, trusting relationships with people, promoted dignity, privacy and respect, and ensured individuals felt valued, listened to and supported. People and relatives consistently described the care as outstanding and praised the caring nature of staff. A person told us, “I do things I want. I went to Manchester, it was good, I am going to pride festival at the end of month. I am more independent now. I choose what I want to do every day, I talk to staff about how much I will need for each activity. Staff are helping me with this (exploring my sexuality). They are very supportive. I wear what I want and go out to places to help me explore my sexuality”
People were treated as individuals, with staff demonstrating an excellent understanding of their preferences, identities, interests and life histories. Choice, self-expression and personal rights were actively promoted, enabling people to live in a way that reflected who they were and what was important to them. A relative said, “[Name] is extremely happy there. We chose it because it replicates a family home. [Name] is kept busy with activities they enjoy, yesterday [name] went to The Deep...they loved it. In July they went to Cleethorpes and had a fantastic day...fish and chips and amusement arcades. Staff sent me photos of the trip. The service is a beautiful old building. [Name] has her own suite of rooms on the ground floor. We are only a few miles away so we pop in regularly.” And another relative said, “[Name] is doing really well, they have had 10 different placements and they all broke down, but here they worked with [name]. They are somewhere settled, it makes me feel better. I don't need to worry about [name] now.”
Staff consistently encouraged independence, choice and control, supporting people to make meaningful decisions about their daily lives, activities, routines, meals and personal environments. Care was flexible and tailored to individual needs, helping people develop confidence, life skills and greater independence. A staff member said, “People do what they want, there is lots of activities, we work closely with families, they are very involved in people’s lives.” And another staff member said, “People are definitely well looked after, people are happy here.”
People's immediate needs were met promptly and sensitively by staff who knew them exceptionally well. Support was adapted to individual preferences and emotional well-being, reducing anxiety and improving comfort, confidence and overall quality of life. A professional told us, “The environment is well equipped and maintained to a very high standard, much higher than any other service that I have come across. The service promotes individuals putting their “stamp” on their living space and are supported to choose and purchase items/pictures/ornaments etc to make their space their own.“Another professional told us, “There were activities planned based on what residents enjoyed doing with 1 person going on their first holiday since coming to Collegiate House. Care plans and daily notes were detailed and person-centred with daily notes including pictures of residents participating in activities which could be shared with families.”