- Care home
Fylde and Wyre Short Break Services
Assessment report published 28 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 25 June to 15 July 2026. The service provided short breaks for up to 6 younger people. Whilst the service predominantly supported people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder, they were also registered to provide support to people with dementia, physical disabilities or sensory impairments.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’. This guidance supported judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence and access to local communities that most people take for granted.
There were robust processes to investigate and learn from safety events. The service supported transitions into and out of the service safely. Staff knew how to protect people from abuse. The team had a positive approach to responding to behaviour that communicated a need, emotion or distress, and risks were well managed. There were regular checks to the environment, and the service was clean and well-maintained. Staff were recruited safely and received a thorough induction. Medicines were well managed.
Care plans were detailed, and relatives were involved in initial assessments. People received appropriate support with eating and drinking, and were encouraged to eat healthily and exercise when required. There was good communication between staff and external services. Staff focused on improving people’s outcomes, including their quality of life; and understood the principles of consent.
Staff were compassionate, kind and caring. They got to know people very well and treated them as individuals. Staff promoted independence and supported people to attend a range of activities and develop meaningful friendships. Staff responded to people’s needs quickly to minimise pain and distress. There were systems and processes in place to provide staff with support and promote good staff wellbeing.
Support was person-centred and adapted to meet people’s changing needs. There was good continuity of care, and staff worked in a joined-up way with relatives and other services. People received information in a way they could understand and were given opportunities to feedback about the service. The service was adapted to meet people’s needs and the provider promoted equality, diversity and inclusion. Managers and staff helped people prepare for their future.
There was a positive culture at the service, which put people at the heart of things. Managers had the appropriate skills and led by example. Staff felt able to speak up about concerns and felt well treated. Governance systems were in place to ensure the service’s performance was managed and people received safe, good quality care. The registered manager worked with other services and attended forums to share learning, and there was an emphasis on continuous improvement.
However, systems to review care plans and ensure important information was captured needed improving and audits by managers and the area manager were not consistently completed.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives spoke positively about the service and the staff. Relatives made comments such as, “[Person] has been coming for a substantial amount of time. They couldn’t be without it. It’s brilliant. They come with a smile on their face and leave with the smile on their face,” “Staff are brilliant,” and “[Staff] are really, really good. I’d be lost without them.” A person staying at the service told us, “It’s brilliant, I like staff and everything.”
The service had recently received some positive feedback about staff at the service. It read, “[Person] is so happy and content when they have been looked after by [staff] and they obviously adore [staff]. [Staff] has a wonderful understanding of [person].”
People we spoke to told us about the activities they were supported to enjoy such as, going out to the local pub or cinema, swimming, sing-a-longs, gaming and football. There was an emphasis on providing a holiday experience for people and several relatives spoke about how happy and excited people were about their stays. A person staying at the service said, “It’s a break from my family. It’s a little bit like a holiday.”
Some people could not directly tell us about their experiences, so we carried out observations of their care. Staff clearly knew people’s likes, dislikes and personal histories, and interacted with people positively and at their level. A relative told us, “[Person] has been going for years. Staff know them really well.”
We observed people being prompted to do things for themselves, to help develop independent living skills. When asked if staff supported people to be independent, a person replied, “Yes.” Another added, “I can manage everything on my own. I can get myself ready to go out.” Staff were seen to promote choice and control, asking people what they would like to eat or drink, or what they wanted to do next.