The Haven

Updated 3 August 2026

The Haven is a small residential care home providing personal care and support for up to 5 people. The service specialised in the care of people with a learning disability and autistic people.

This assessment was carried out between 4 August and 13 August 2026. We visited the service on 4 August and 6 August 2026. At the time of the assessment there were 3 people living at the service. 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 organisation had no specific policy in relating to the use of cameras. Documentation held in relation to the use of a camera for one person contained conflicting advice about when it should be used. The registered manager acknowledged this and agreed to make this clearer on all documentation.

Staff knew people very well and respected the choices and decisions they made. When needed, staff used easy read documentation, social stories, Makaton (a form of sign language) or objects of reference to aid communication and to help people make informed decisions.

People received one to one staff support and when needed for one person this was increased. Processes were in place to ensure medicines were managed safely, and specialist advice from health and social care professionals could be accessed when needed. There were safe systems for the recruitment of staff and good induction processes. Staff attended training to fulfil their duties and had opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff felt confident raising concerns.

Staff worked well with partner organisations to improve people’s care and uphold their rights, helping to ensure people’s needs were consistently met. There were systems both internally and externally to regularly monitor the quality and safety of the care being provided. The management team were open and transparent, taking action whenever improvements were required.

The registered manager and deputy manager were committed to the development of the service to support people to lead their best lives. They worked closely with people, relatives and staff to develop plans and progress improvements agreed. The culture was inclusive and supported very good communication at all levels.

Updated 3 August 2026

People looked relaxed and content in their surroundings. They responded by smiling or giving staff hugs and there was genuine warmth and affection. People led busy lives doing activities that were important to them. They went swimming and cycling, made use of local parks and the seafront. They had meals out and went food shopping or personal shopping. People were supported to maintain contact with relatives by phone and via newsletters and visits. People’s relatives were also able to visit them and where needed, staff supported people to see their relatives.

Staff knew people well and how they liked to be supported. They picked up on subtle cues that meant people wanted something done differently. People’s relatives spoke positively about the care their family members received. They welcomed the regular contact from people’s keyworkers as they kept them up to date with what their loved ones were doing.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink in line with their preferences and their nutritional and hydration needs. They were supported to access health and social care professionals when they needed it. Staff treated people fairly, and ensured their individual preferences, and social needs were consistently respected and met.

People’s relatives told us about improvements to the running of the home that positively impacted their loved ones. They all spoke about improvements to the menus and people’s diets. They told us people were doing more and led busier lives than they had ever done. They felt more connected with their loved ones as a result of the newsletters they received which included photos of their loved ones participating in various activities.