During an assessment under our new approach
Fixby Lodge is a specialist service for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. The service is registered to support 8 people and at the time of our assessment, 8 people lived at the service.
We carried out this assessment on 29 June to 14 August 2026.
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. We were assured the service met the principles of this guidance, and people received safe, person-centred and outcome focused care and support.
People were supported by a consistent and skilled staff team, who knew them well. We observed kind and caring interactions and a genuine focus on meaningful relationships. Recruitment was managed safely and staff received high-quality induction, supervision and training.
The home had extensive grounds, a summer house and wildlife garden which were safe and well maintained. Medicines were managed safely. There were clear processes in place to manage safeguarding events.
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 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We found the service was working within the principles of the MCA, and how they managed DoLS within the service. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions and had choice, control and freedom over their lives. This was reflected in our observations and feedback from people and relatives. Comments included, “Staff not only listen, they respect [name of person’s] wishes and listen and act upon what [name of person] wants.”
People’s needs were assessed prior to admission to the service, and the registered manager maintained a clear focus on compatibility between people. Processes were in place to ensure people’s care and support was monitored. As a result, we saw people’s health and wellbeing had improved and their independence increased.
Processes were in place to ensure people had equity in outcomes. Care plans highlighted people’s diverse needs, preferences and aspirations. Staff were creative and committed in their approach. The management team and staff demonstrated a strong commitment to person-centred support, care and improving outcomes and opportunities for people. People were supported to choose how they spent their time and had wide ranging opportunities, including individual and group activities and partaking in a craft project run by the organisation. These were driven by people’s preferences and wishes.
The provider had a clear shared vision and strategy, and the home was well supported by the registered manager and wider quality team. There was a robust programme of audits and checks, any shortfalls were addressed promptly. There was a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Leaders worked with people, their relatives and staff to build a culture which focused on enabling people to live a full life. There was a strong sense of teamwork and staff expressed their pride about working at Fixby Lodge and for the organisation. Comments included, “I have worked in care a long time and this is the best place I have worked. It doesn’t feel like work it is nice to be around the home. The [name of registered manager] is always supportive 100% of the time.”