- Homecare service
Your Life (Ferndown)
Assessment report published 16 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Your Life (Ferndown) is a home care service that provides personal care and support to people living in Cherrett Court, a retirement development. The service supported five people at the time of the inspection with personal care support.
Who the service is for
This is a specialist service for people who may be living with dementia and/or physical disabilities residing in their own homes. The retirement development additionally offers domestic assistance and social support with communal areas for dining and socialising.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment between the 21 and 25 September 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 staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs safely, they had been trained in the safe administration of medicines and medicines were managed safely. Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their role in identifying and reporting any concerns of potential abuse or poor practice. Staff consistently spoke positively about the support they received from the registered manager and the opportunities available to discuss concerns and development needs. One staff member told us, “We have regular supervision and appraisals where we have an opportunity to meet on a one-to-one basis with our manager, she is always available and ready to listen if needed.” Another commented, “I feel comfortable going to my manager and asking for help as and when is needed.”
We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff and management demonstrated an understanding of the MCA and supported people to make their own decisions wherever possible. People were not subject to unnecessary restrictions and were supported to maintain choice, control and independence.
People's desired outcomes were discussed during their initial assessment and reviewed regularly to ensure care remained person-centred and reflected their wishes and preferences. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of promoting independence and choice. One staff member told us, “We encourage them to remain as independent as possible and only provide assistance where it is needed.” Another said, “We always consider preferences and provide choices when completing care and at all other times.”
There was a strong culture of supporting people to maintain their independence, relationships and wellbeing. Staff gave examples of how people were enabled to continue activities that were important to them. One staff member told us, “There is a [person] who enjoys going shopping independently. As they have dementia and may become lost or disorientated, I accompany them when they go shopping. This allows them to continue enjoying an activity they value while also ensuring that they are safe and supported.”
Staff were committed to helping people achieve positive outcomes and experience a good quality of life. One staff member told us, “The staff at Cherrett Court are dedicated to caring for the homeowners and we all strive to provide them with a high quality of life.” Another commented, “I am very proud to work at Cherrett Court. I feel that we provide a good quality of life for our service users and that we are able to support them in a person-centred way.”
Staff provided examples of adapting their approach to ensure people's communication needs were met, and they could be involved in decisions about their care. One staff member explained, “We have a (person) who is deaf and communicates through writing. We write information and questions down for them so that they can understand what is being communicated and respond in writing.”
Staff were largely positive about the support they received from the local management team. Some staff identified areas for improvement, including their experience of the electronic care planning system, which they felt could be more user-friendly and flexible in supporting care delivery. Some staff also told us they would welcome additional face-to-face training opportunities and highlighted occasions where staffing could be stretched during periods of absence or increasing care needs. Staff consistently told us the registered manager was approachable, responsive to concerns and worked hard to support the team and maintain safe care delivery.
Overall, people received safe, person-centred care from a committed and compassionate staff team and, while staff identified some areas where systems and processes could be strengthened, these had not prevented people from achieving positive outcomes or speaking positively about the quality of support they received.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives spoke positively about the care and support they received and described staff as kind, professional and responsive to their needs. People felt safe receiving support and valued being cared for by a consistent staff team who knew them well. One person told us, “Because I know and trust all the staff that come in.” A relative said, “The team members all demonstrate professionalism, high levels of care, patience and necessary safety protocols when supporting my loved one.”
People told us staff understood their needs, preferences and changing circumstances and provided support in a way that respected their wishes. Relatives described how staff took time to get to know people and build trusting relationships. One relative told us, “They have taken the time to get to know my loved one, build trust and take into account their preferences when offering/providing care and support.” Another said, “They go above and beyond to make sure [family member] is looked after, remember things they are interested in, personalise their approach and manage to help them maintain their dignity.”
There was a strong focus on promoting independence and supporting people to remain in control of their lives. People and relatives consistently told us staff encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves while providing support when needed. One relative commented, “They continually try to balance the need for safety with my loved one's wishes and independence.” Another told us, “They are never patronising and allow my loved one to do as much as they can, while recognising their limitations.”
People felt staff listened to them and adapted care to meet their individual needs. One person told us, “They listen to my requirements such as helping me to dress taking into account my pain and limited arm movement.” A relative also explained how staff supported their family member in a way that minimised discomfort, saying, “When they help [loved one's] dress, they allow [person] to guide the process to do so in a way that causes them the least pain possible.”
People and their relatives told us the service was well managed and spoke highly of the local management team. Comments included, “The manager and the duty managers at Cherrett Court do an excellent job. They are professional, responsive, supportive, hard-working and knowledgeable, and go above and beyond to make Cherrett Court a pleasant and welcoming environment for residents and visitors” and “The manager at Cherrett Court [ES4.1]is very responsive and they manage the team well and always gets involved themself, they lead by example.”
People knew how to raise concerns and felt confident they would be listened to. One person told us, “Yes, at local level within Cherrett Court.” Relatives also described the staff and management team as approachable and responsive when support or advice was needed.
Feedback about the service was positive. People described staff as “Friendly, efficient” and said they were “always a friendly face.” Relatives told us the care provided gave them reassurance and peace of mind. One relative said, “It gives me huge peace of mind that my loved one is being so well looked after by [manager] and their team.” Another commented, “The staff at Cherrett Court all provide excellent care and support, and it gives me huge peace of mind, knowing my loved one has the support they need to remain in their own home and feel safe and happy with those who provide their care.”
While people and relatives were highly complementary about the care provided by the local staff team, a small number commented that some organisational systems could be overly bureaucratic and occasionally took staff time away from direct care. However, there was no evidence this had negatively impacted people's experiences and feedback about the quality of care and support remained consistently positive.