- Care home
Kenwood House
Assessment report published 13 November 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Our view of the service
About the service
The service is a care home. There were 5 people using the service at the time of the assessment.
Who the service is for
This service supports up to 6 people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 29 October 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.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
People received safe, person-centred care and support that promoted their independence, choice and control. Systems were in place to identify, monitor and manage risks, incidents and accidents, and learning was shared with staff to support continuous improvement. Positive risk-taking was encouraged to enable people to maintain independence and experience a good quality of life. Safeguarding processes were effective, and people felt able to raise concerns.
There were enough staff available to meet people’s physical, social and emotional needs. Staff had the required knowledge and skills to support people safely and were described as kind, compassionate and respectful. We observed staff supporting people whilst maintaining their dignity and privacy and encouraged people to make choices about their daily lives.
People’s medicines were managed and monitored safely. The registered manager and staff had successfully reduced the use of PRN medicines when people displayed an emotional reaction by developing staff knowledge and using alternative ways of supporting people. This demonstrated a positive approach to learning and improving people’s experiences and outcomes.
The environment was clean and maintained to a good standard, helping to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. People’s needs were assessed, regularly reviewed and updated when their circumstances changed. People were actively involved in planning and reviewing their support, through monthly keyworker meetings, which helped ensure their care remained centred around them. Staff understood people’s individual communication needs and supported them to express their views and make choices.
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 staff and management worked within the MCA and people consented to their care where they were able to do so. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied which ensured people were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions, and they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
People, relatives and staff were able to provide feedback about the service, and the registered manager listened and acted on the feedback received. Staff understood the importance of promoting equity in people’s experiences and worked to support good outcomes when people accessed health and social care services.
There was a clear and shared vision within the service which focused on independence, inclusion, choice and enabling people to have control over their lives. Staff told us they had opportunities to develop their skills and were supported to use their learning in their day-to-day practice.
Governance and quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service and identify opportunities for improvement. The registered manager demonstrated effective leadership, responded promptly when improvements were identified and promoted a culture of learning, development and innovation.
People's experience of this service
People spoke positively about living at the service and showed they felt happy, safe and comfortable in their home. One person gave a big nod when asked if they liked living there and if they felt safe. They told us they liked their bedroom, the house, the food and that their family could visit. Another person told us, “I feel well cared for, I’m alright,” and described enjoying relaxing on the sofa watching television and helping staff with everyday tasks.
People were actively involved in learning how to keep themselves safe. During a fire safety session, staff involved people in discussing what they should do if there was a fire and checked their understanding by asking questions. People were able to explain how they should leave the building, wait near the gates and not return until it was safe to do so. Staff used photographs and symbols to support people’s communication and understanding, enabling them to participate and answer questions in a way that met their individual needs.
People had choice and control over their daily routines. They told us they could decide when to get up and go to bed, choose whether to have a bath or shower and contribute to decisions about their meals. People were encouraged to be independent and contribute to life within the home. One person told us they did the dishes, cleaned their bedroom and liked to make tea, while another proudly described preparing a staff member’s drink each day.
People were supported to take part in activities they enjoyed both at home and in the community. They spoke about going to a local coffee shop, visiting the park, attending parties and visiting the Air Force Museum. Relatives similarly described people enjoying meals out, baking, social events and spending time with staff. This showed people were supported to maintain their interests, participate in their community and have meaningful experiences.
People appeared comfortable approaching staff for support. One person said nothing made them upset or sad but indicated they would talk to staff if they needed to and could have a cuddle for reassurance. Relatives consistently described staff as caring and attentive, telling us, “Staff are brilliant, they can’t do enough,” and “Staff are so caring.” They felt staff knew people well, understood how to support them when they became anxious and adapted their support when people’s needs changed.
Relatives described seeing positive changes in people since they moved to the service. One told us their family member was “happy and settled” and had chosen to remain at the service when given an opportunity to move elsewhere. Another relative said, “We leave and feel they are safe there. They are totally different and settled.” A relative described the service as being genuinely home to their family member and said, “They make us feel like part of the family as everyone is very welcoming and friendly.”
Relatives also felt involved and well informed about people’s care and said staff contacted them about changes in health and appointments where appropriate. They felt confident approaching staff or the registered manager if they had questions or concerns. One relative told us, “We don’t have a worry at all,” whilst another relative said, “We are really pleased and want them to stay there as long as they can.”