- Homecare service
Lynx Support Services Ltd
Assessment report published 23 June 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Lynx Support Ltd is a is a Domiciliary Care Agency, providing support and personal care to people in their own homes.
Who the service is for
Staff supported older people and younger adults, with different health needs. At the time of our assessment 32 people were receiving support from the service.
Key Findings
We carried out this assessment on 10 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 can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In Domiciliary Care Agencies, 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. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. At the time of our assessment no one using the service had a DoLS authorisation in place. The provider understood their responsibilities to apply for DoLS authorisations and people’s capacity was assessed in relation to making specific decisions. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
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’.
There was also a strong focus on safety and learning. Incidents were closely monitored, reviewed, and used to identify trends and reduce risks. Leaders understood their Duty of Candour responsibilities and reported notifiable incidents. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse, and staff felt confident to raise concerns. Risks were effectively managed through detailed risk assessments and care plans. Risks posed to people from the environment were mitigated. People were supported by trained staff who were recruited safely and provided reliable care. Medicines were managed safely with appropriate training, accurate records, and regular audits in place.
People’s needs were assessed prior to people receiving support and regular reviews of people’s care were in place. Healthcare professionals’ advice was incorporated into people’s care plans which gave staff best practice guidance to provide effective care to people. Staff focused on achieving positive outcomes for people, supporting people’s goals and independence. Staff recognised changes in people’s needs and made timely referrals to external professionals, to ensure people had their needs met. People were also provided with clear information about their rights and how to raise concerns.
The service had a clear vision and values, which were consistently reflected in staff practice. Staff felt supported through regular supervision, appraisals, and team meetings, and relatives were involved in care planning and reviews. Leadership and governance systems were in place, with effective quality assurance systems ensuring the service was safe and well managed. Most people, relatives and staff told us the service was well led. A relative said, “I have complained about 1 staff member, but they (management) kept sending them out. It has been ok now for the past few weeks, I hope it stays like that.” Another relative said, “The managers are always easy to get in touch with, they respond to my emails quickly.” A staff member said, “I feel able to raise concerns and my manager is approachable and fair. Staff morale is good, colleagues work well together, support each other, and communicate well. It is a good place to work.” Another staff member said, “I would be happy for my family to use this service. I can see the hard work they (staff) put into their jobs. Management is also quick to respond to any concerns reported by both support workers and family members.” There was a clear commitment to continuous improvement, with digital systems introduced to enhance monitoring and an ongoing quality action plan informed by feedback from people, relatives, and staff.
At our last assessment we rated this service good, at this assessment the service has remained good.
People's experience of this service
We visited some people in their own homes to gain their feedback; we also spoke with people and their relatives via the telephone and email. People and relatives told us staff were kind, caring, and respectful of privacy and dignity. Staff knew people well and demonstrated compassion while supporting individual preferences and interests. People were actively involved in their care and supported to make choices about their daily lives. Communication plans were in place to help staff tailor their approach, enabling people to express their needs and maintain choice and control. Most people and relatives who used the service gave us positive feedback. Although 1 relative initially gave poor feedback, they said that things had improved. The relative said, “The staff can speak with a heavy accent, which means they don’t always communicate properly and write records properly. I don’t feel my concerns are listened to, but there are 2 staff I can speak to about things.” A person said, “I don’t mind which staff I have, as I like them all, they are kind. I go to knitting and I bake (with staff), my cakes are lovely.” Another person said, “I’m really happy with the care. All the staff who visit are kind and helpful. Everything is great, I wish I could spend more time with them (staff).” A relative said, “The transition from [name’s] previous service was smooth. Staff are kind and caring. There is quite a variety, who are all gently responsive to [name’s] needs. They are punctual, staying and leaving at the allocated times. They respond to the way that [name] likes to conduct their life with sensitivity. [Name] feels safe. I have a copy of the care plan, and we had a review this year and this was very helpful. My concerns were listened to. I always get a quick response from the office, which indicates good leadership to me. I would quickly find out how to make a complaint if I needed to-but I don’t. I have been extremely pleased with the service Lynx provides.” Another relative said, “I trust all the carers and that’s important as [name] is nonverbal and very vulnerable. There is a communication book, and it’s written in every day, there is a stable staff team.” Another relative said, “Lynx has worked very hard to get it right for [name], the carers are safe and (staff member name) is like a super carer. I can always contact the office if a carer isn’t suitable and it gets taken on board.”