- Care home
Blythe House
Assessment report published 8 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 27 July 2026 to 14 August 2026. The service is a residential care home providing support to autistic people and people with a learning disability. We 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.
Whilst the service was larger than would usually be expected under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture guidance, the provider demonstrated they were meeting the principles of the guidance. People received person centred support, experienced positive outcomes and were supported by a culture that promoted dignity, choice and independence."
People received support from a staff team committed to helping them live meaningful lives. Staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and supported people to stay in control of making their own decisions wherever possible. Feedback from people, staff and professionals was positive about the quality of care provided. People were supported by staff who treated them with kindness and respect and who promoted their independence, choice and rights.
Safe support was provided through effective risk management, safeguarding processes and medicines systems. Staff understood people's individual risks and followed guidance to keep people safe while supporting them to take part in activities and experiences important to them. Risks relating to epilepsy, allergies and other complex needs were managed particularly well.
Staff worked closely with healthcare professionals and relatives to support positive outcomes. People's health needs were monitored and managed well and there was evidence that personalised approaches had contributed to improved wellbeing and reduced hospital admissions for some people.
There was a warm and caring culture throughout the service. People were treated with dignity and respect and were supported to express their views using communication methods suited to their individual needs. Relatives consistently described staff as caring and committed.
Support was personalised and reflected what was important to people. People were supported to access community activities, maintain relationships and pursue their interests. Staff adapted support to meet individual needs and worked to remove barriers to participation. Some improvements were needed to ensure people's goals remained up to date and were consistently reviewed.
The service benefited from positive leadership. The registered manager was visible, approachable and had already identified any areas requiring further development. Systems were in place to monitor quality and leaders demonstrated a reflective approach to improvement.
People's experience of this service
We used a combination of observation, talking to people and some use of Makaton, a system of speech, signs and symbols that support verbal communication, in order to gain people’s views. We also spoke with relatives about their experiences of the care provided.
People told us they were happy living at the service and appeared comfortable, relaxed and confident in their home. People spent their time doing things that were important to them, including horse riding, shopping, sailing, holidays, community activities and spending time with relatives. People were supported to make choices about their daily lives and were encouraged to be as independent as possible.
People were comfortable approaching staff and seeking support when they wanted it. Staff understood how people preferred to communicate and used a range of approaches to help people express their views and make decisions.
Relatives spoke positively about the care and support provided. They told us people were safe, well cared for and had developed meaningful relationships with staff. Relatives described seeing improvements in people's confidence, wellbeing and independence. Several relatives told us their family members were happy and living fulfilling lives.
People's health needs were well supported. Relatives described staff as knowledgeable about complex health conditions, allergies and dietary needs. People were supported to attend appointments, access healthcare services and maintain good health. For some people, effective support had contributed to significant improvements in their wellbeing over time.
Care reflected people's needs, preferences and interests rather than fitting people into a routine. People were encouraged to maintain relationships, access their communities and take part in activities they enjoyed.
Where feedback identified opportunities for improvement, this was mainly around communication with some relatives and the consistency of Makaton use across the service. Relatives told us they felt comfortable raising concerns and leaders were receptive to feedback.