Midlands Supported Living

Updated 19 March 2026

Date of assessment: 23 March and 28 April 2026

Midlands Supported Living is a supported living service providing personal care to people with learning disabilities and/or autism across seven locations. At the time of the assessment, 16 people were supported with the regulated activity.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

People were observed to be relaxed, comfortable and positive in their homes and in their interactions with staff. They were encouraged to make choices, personalise their living spaces and remain involved in everyday activities and their local communities. Relatives consistently told us they felt people were safe, well cared for and treated with kindness, dignity and compassion.

Staff knew people well and responded to their individual needs, including supporting communication, sensory regulation and access to healthcare. People and relatives were involved in assessments and care planning, and staff worked effectively with external professionals to promote good health outcomes. Medicines were managed safely, staffing levels were sufficient and recruitment practices were thorough. Some aspects of risk assessment, environmental monitoring and long-term planning required further development, and leaders were aware of these areas and had already begun to take action to address them.

Staff told us that previous management arrangements had not always been supportive; however, a new leadership team was in place prior to the inspection, and this had led to noticeable improvements. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and open, and staff felt more valued and confident to raise concerns or share ideas. Governance systems were developing and learning from incidents and feedback was evident. There were no breaches of regulations identified. Overall, the service demonstrated a positive, caring culture with improving leadership and a clear commitment to providing safe, person-centred support that enabled people to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Updated 19 March 2026

People using the service, and their relatives, spoke positively about their experience of care and support. People appeared relaxed and comfortable in their homes and with staff. During our visits, we observed people interacting warmly with staff, approaching them freely for conversation or support, and showing pride in their living spaces, which were personalised to reflect individual preferences and sensory needs.

People felt safe and well supported. Relatives told us they were confident their family members were in “safe hands” and described staff as knowledgeable, consistent and attentive. One relative told us “I know [person] is in safe hands, [person] has nothing at all to worry about”. Another said, “We have never seen [person] happier and therefore [person] must feel safe.”

People were treated with kindness, dignity and compassion. Staff were observed responding to people in a calm and respectful way and supporting them to do the things that mattered to them, including spending time in the community, attending appointments, socialising and maintaining relationships.

Relatives felt involved and well informed. They told us communication was open and that they were encouraged to be involved in care planning and important decisions. People and relatives knew how to raise concerns and felt confident these would be listened to and acted upon. One relative said, “I would speak up if I needed to, but I have no concerns.”

Overall, the atmosphere across the service was positive and inclusive. People were supported by staff who knew them well, understood their communication needs, and enabled them to live meaningful and fulfilling lives within their local communities.