- Care home
Albert Road
Assessment report published 24 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 16 July 2026 to 26 August 2026
Albert Road provides accommodation and support for up to 7 people living with acquired brain injuries and associated cognitive, behavioural, communication and physical health needs. At the time of the assessment 7 people were being supported at the service.
The service demonstrated a commitment to person-centred care, rehabilitation and promoting independence. People were supported by staff who knew them well and understood their individual needs, preferences, goals and communication styles. Care planning reflected what was important to people and support arrangements promoted community participation, relationship building, confidence, independence and meaningful activity. Feedback from relatives was consistently positive and highlighted the caring, compassionate and personalised nature of support provided by staff.
People benefited from established arrangements to support their safety and wellbeing. Staff understood safeguarding responsibilities and risks associated with people's needs and worked with healthcare professionals, safeguarding authorities and other agencies when concerns arose. Environmental safety arrangements were well managed and staff had access to training and guidance relevant to the people they supported. Professional advice from healthcare specialists was generally incorporated into care planning and support arrangements, helping to ensure support reflected people's changing needs and circumstances.
The service demonstrated a rehabilitative approach that focused on helping people maintain and develop skills, maximise independence and achieve goals that were meaningful to them. Staff worked collaboratively with a range of professionals, including GPs, Speech and Language Therapists and other specialists. There was evidence of positive outcomes relating to independence, confidence, mobility, community participation and wellbeing. Relatives spoke positively about the progress people had made and described the service as supporting people to achieve the best possible quality of life.
The assessment identified opportunities to strengthen how some aspects of care, safety and quality were monitored and evaluated over time. Whilst concerns were appropriately recognised, investigated and acted upon, the provider was not always able to demonstrate through structured monitoring and outcome data how the effectiveness of interventions had been reviewed or how learning had been embedded following some incidents and safeguarding concerns.
The assessment also identified areas where assurance processes could be strengthened. Some health-monitoring records, assessments and outcome information were not always readily available when requested, reducing assurance regarding how progress, health outcomes and the effectiveness of interventions were reviewed over time. Whilst governance systems were established and leaders were able to identify and respond to concerns, further work was required to improve the accessibility, consistency and integration of management information to support oversight and quality improvement.
Overall, people benefited from caring, person-centred and rehabilitative support delivered by staff who were knowledgeable about their needs and committed to helping them achieve positive outcomes. The service promoted independence, choice, community participation and wellbeing, and people and relatives consistently spoke positively about their experiences of care. Whilst opportunities remained to strengthen monitoring, evaluation and organisational learning arrangements, these areas did not detract from the overall quality of support people received or the positive outcomes the service helped people achieve.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with people living at Albert Road and their relatives about their experiences of the service. Feedback was consistently positive about the care and support provided by staff. One relative told us, "I could not be happier with the care [Person] receives. [Person's] in the right place." People and relatives described staff as caring, knowledgeable and committed to helping people achieve the best possible quality of life. Relatives told us staff knew people well, understood their individual needs and adapted support as circumstances changed. Several relatives described positive relationships with staff and told us they were kept informed about important events, changes in health and ongoing support needs.
People were supported by staff who demonstrated a detailed understanding of their histories, preferences, interests and aspirations. Relatives described staff as recognising what was important to people and supporting them in ways that reflected their personalities, strengths and goals. During the assessment we observed positive interactions between people and staff. Staff were seen offering choices, providing reassurance and supporting people in a calm, respectful and person-centred manner.
People and relatives spoke positively about opportunities to maintain independence and participate in activities that were meaningful to them. Support focused on helping people develop confidence, maintain relationships, access their local communities and achieve personal goals. Examples included support with rehabilitation, community activities, public transport, mobility goals, family contact and leisure interests. Relatives told us staff encouraged people to remain as independent as possible whilst providing support appropriate to their individual needs.
People were also supported to access healthcare services and specialist support when required. Relatives told us staff communicated effectively when concerns arose and kept them informed about appointments, incidents and changes in health. One relative told us, "I couldn't be kept more informed." There was evidence that staff worked with healthcare professionals and other agencies to help people receive support that reflected their assessed needs and preferences.
Whilst feedback regarding care and support was positive, the assessment identified some areas where the provider could strengthen systems and oversight. These included demonstrating the effectiveness of some interventions, evidencing longer-term planning for future needs and improving how some health and outcome information was monitored and recorded. However, these issues did not detract from the positive feedback received regarding people's day-to-day experiences of care, the commitment shown by staff and the service's rehabilitative and person-centred approach.