- Care home
The Waves
Assessment report published 12 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
The Waves is a care home registered to provide care and support for up to 3 people. At the time of our inspection there was 1 person living in the home. There were no plans for anyone else to move in.
Who the service is for
The is a specialist service for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
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.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 21 to 22 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.
The provider was responsive and introduced new systems to ensure they maintained effective oversight of the service and care delivered.
The provider had systems in place to ensure concerns could be raised quickly and appropriately.
Staff told us they knew how to raise concerns with the registered manager and felt people were safe living at the service. Staff told us they knew how to report concerns to external organisations, if necessary, such as the local authority safeguarding team or CQC.
Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were assessed. Staff confirmed they knew people well and were given enough information on their needs and risks. A staff member told us, “I am given enough information about people I support, for example read support plans and risk assessments.”
Staff told us they knew how to report maintenance concerns when necessary. People had up-to-date Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans in place.
Training records confirmed staff completed training to ensure they had the, skills and knowledge to carry out their roles. A staff member told us, “I definitely have enough appropriate training to fulfil my role here. We have a robust training program which covers all aspects of my work.”
Recruitment procedures were in place to ensure appropriate checks were carried out on staff before they commenced employment. This information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.
Medicines were managed safely. We observed medicine administration and staff asked for consent before administering medicines to a people.
Information on people’s medicine allergies was clearly documented to ensure staff awareness. The provider had effective medicine management systems in place and audited medicine administration charts.
People’s communication needs were assessed. Care plans provided staff with information on various way of communicating with people.
Where required, people’s weight were effectively monitored.
Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and told us they respected people's choices and understood the importance of this. Consent was sought from people in accordance with the MCA.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, 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. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
Staff told us they always respected and upheld people’s dignity.
People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them. Relatives visited regularly and this was encouraged.
Staff confirmed they supported people to be as independent as possible. A staff member said, “The Waves encourages people's independence, their own choices, staff supports when it is needed, for example staff encourages people to choose what to wear, what to eat, or how to spend their day, staff encourages to take part in household tasks, like cooking, tidying their room, doing laundry, doing shopping.”
Care plans were detailed and reflected people’s needs.
Relative told us they felt staff knew people well and listened to people and relatives feedback on how their care should be completed.
The provider had a key worker system which meant that there was a staff member monitoring people’s needs.
The provider held regular management meetings, staff meetings and supervisions. Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and told us they felt able to ask for support if needed.
Systems were in place to monitor the service through a programme of regular audits. Regular management meetings were in place to discuss and review audits.
The provider had an up-to-date action plan, which was maintained as a live document.
People's experience of this service
Where people were unable to communicate verbally, we observed interactions between them, relatives and staff. We observed staff had friendly and positive relationship and knew people well. People’s unique communication needs were met, for example through Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), objects and their body language.
We observed effective communication when a person used a PECS to inform staff they would like to go out for a drive.
A relative told us they thought their family member was treated with kindness and dignity.
A relative commented, “We have complete faith and regard ourselves as very fortunate in terms of care [person] gets here. [Person] needs staff who are familiar with them.”
A relative told us they felt staff knew people well and listened to people and relatives’ feedback on how their care should be delivered.
Relatives confirmed they could approach the registered manager and the provider and found them to be responsive.
People were supported to access medical appointments when required. A relative told us, “We have regular meetings, we can attend those meetings and we frequently do. Staff have numbers and if need to contact external professional, they do.”
People were able to choose their meals and indicate what activities they would like to attend.