- Care home
Valley Road
Assessment report published 8 July 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Our view of the service
About the service
The service is a care home, providing respite care. There were 4 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
Who the service is for
This is a specialist service for people with a physical disability, learning disability and autistic people. 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.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment between 16 June 2026 and 18 June 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. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People were supported by sufficient staff, who had been safely recruited and who received good levels of support to enable them to provide safe care. Staff told us they felt valued and were encouraged to continue developing their knowledge and skills. This approach was contributing to a sustained reduction in the use of agency staff, helping to promote continuity and stability within the service.
Staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities, including how to recognise and report any concerns which may indicate a risk of abuse. Staff were confident senior staff would take prompt action to support people, if required. Leadership at the home were pro-active and transparent in managing safeguarding concerns and communicating these to other agencies, to promote people’s safety.
Regular checks were undertaken on the safety and suitability of the premises. The provider planned to further enhance the environment for people’s continued enjoyment by additional development of the sensory and garden areas and to replace some furniture items.
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. Staff and management worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions, and they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
Staff worked closely with people, relatives and health and social care professionals to develop clear, detailed and person‑centred risk assessments and care plans. These provided guidance to help staff consistently reduce and manage risks, including those linked to people’s anxiety and complex health needs. One staff member said, “You need to make [people] safe, so you discuss risk assessments.”
People received their medicines safely and as prescribed. Staff were not allowed to administered people’s medicines until they had received training and their competency to administer them had been checked. Staff were clear about the actions to take if an error occurred, and described a supportive culture in which senior staff encouraged learning from incidents and near misses. We saw staff administering medicines in a safe, person‑centred way which reflected the guidance set out in people’s care plans.
People and relatives had opportunities to visit Valley Road before care began. Staff worked closely with people and relatives before each stay, to understand any changes in needs and ensure the right support was in place.
The service ensured people were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives. People and relatives were at the centre of care planning and review of support; this ensured they received personalised care in line with their preferences and diverse needs. One staff member said although they got to know people’s routines, they still checked. They told us, “You ask [people] what they want to do or wear.” We saw people were asked what they would like to eat and drink.
People were supported by caring and compassionate staff who communicated with them in ways they preferred. Staff spoke warmly about people and valued the bonds they had built with them. Staff respected and promoted people’s right to dignity and worked at people’s pace. We saw people made their own day to day choices and this was respected by staff. Staff gently encouraged people to do as much as possible, so their independence was promoted.
Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of what mattered to people and used this knowledge when caring for them, so people received person-centred care. One staff member told us about a person with complex well-being needs and said, “If you find out something new that works, you pass it on.” Systems were in place to manage any concerns and to address them promptly. Staff took action to ensure people were treated fairly and respected their unique needs.
Leaders were described by staff as approachable, visible and supportive. This helped to create a collaborative approach which focused on meeting people’s needs. The registered manager and provider completed checks on the quality and safety of the service. They also took part in provider and network meetings to share learning and bring back best practice to strengthen the service further.
People's experience of this service
People who used the respite service were consistently positive about the care they received on their respite stays and the staff who supported them. One person told us, “They are kind and a brilliant as a team, and I am fully supported by the staff.” Another person told us how much they enjoyed spending time with the staff and were pleased they had made a new friend during their recent stay at Valley Road.
Relatives were positive about the service. One relative said because of the quality of care and communication from staff, “We are confident leaving [person’s name] at Valley Road.” Another relative told us, “It is really good at Valley Road, because when your cognitively disabled [family member] goes for care you are anxious, but they talk to me and ask me for advice and my views.” People and relatives described a caring, flexible and organised approach to providing care, and found staff and leadership approachable.
People confirmed they were supported to be safe during their stays at the service and said staff treated them with care and compassion. One person told us if they were very anxious they did not always tell staff, but said, “[Staff] recognise if I am having a difficult day, they look at my face and recognise and support me.” Relatives were positive about how their family members safety needs were met. This included how staff supported their family members when they experienced risks linked to the complex health needs, or if staff had any concerns about the care provided by other organisations. One relative described the proactive approach to safety taken by all staff at the location and said of the registered manager, “They are on it straight away, and staff let them know if anything is wrong.”
People told us they had choice and control over their care, and one person told us they enjoyed their respite stays, as, “It’s nice for me to be independent.” People were supported to engage in activities of their choosing, such as listening to music or watching the television, going shopping and for trips to the local parks. One person told us they had a pizza baking session planned with staff, which they were looking forward to. We saw people being supported to spend time in the garden, colouring and chatting with staff. People were also supported to attend college and day opportunities during their stay at the service.
People and relatives described being partners in care, and told us their suggestions were listened to. For example, most people or relatives told us they received a telephone call prior to each stay, so they could update staff on any changes in their family member’s needs. One person told us staff always contacted them at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss any changes to their planned care, prior to a new stay at Valley Road as this helped to reduce their anxiety.
People’s and relatives’ views were focused on when staff created and reviewed their assessments and care plans. This approach made sure people received person-centred care. One person told us, “The care [provided] is customer led. They [staff] don’t just jump in.”
Where others had legal responsibilities and rights to make decisions on behalf of people relatives told us this was respected.
People, relatives and staff gave us examples showing how the care provided increased people’s confidence, supported them to keep in touch with their religious and cultural identity and fully supported them during difficult times in their lives. One person said, “I feel familiar and at ease with staff, so I don’t feel so anxious, and I don’t have to explain to them, because they already know. They know me well and put me first.”
Some people could not directly tell us about their experience. We used a structured observation tool to assess whether they received good care. This approach showed people were included and listened to and staff consistently interacted positively with them, ensuring they used people’s preferred way of communicating. We saw staff supported people discreetly and at the person’s pace.
People were happy in the company of staff during the inspection, and it was clear people enjoyed staff’s company. Staff took time to involve people in decisions about their care and people shared a joke with staff. People were relaxed and interactions were kind, supportive and caring.
People and their relatives spoke highly of the running of the service and the culture at Valley Road. One person said, “[Registered manager’s name] is brilliant. They do their job as a whole well, and the new service manager is really approachable.” A relative told us, “[Registered manager’s name] is good and tries to get to the bottom of things, to learn lessons.” Another relative said they knew Valley Road was run well because, “[Person’s name] loves going there, as soon as they see their bag packed they’re happy to go. It’s a lovely place, [staff] are absolutely golden with them, they really enjoy going, and they enjoy the things they do.” Another relative said, “They will call here to ask me if there’s something they want to know, communication is very good. Staff are very open, if I did want to go up to visit [person’s name] I could.”