The Bakery

Date of assessment 27 August 2026 to 4 September 2026. On the 27 August 2026 we visited the office of the agency, which was situated within the grounds of The Bakery residential care home.

The Bakery is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection, one person was receiving the regulated activity of personal care from the service. The person using the service had a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder and required support with aspects of their daily living.

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.

This report relates only to the domiciliary care service. A separate report is available for the residential care home operated by The Bakery.

During and following the inspection, we reviewed records and sought feedback from the person's relative and relevant stakeholders to inform our assessment of the quality of care provided by the service. Governance systems were used to monitor the quality of support. Regular audits of support planning and risk management helped identify issues, so that action could be taken to drive improvement.

There was no registered manager at the time of the inspection. A registered manager who was already registered for two of the provider's care homes was applying to become registered manager for the domiciliary care service and was providing oversight of the service pending registration.

The person was at the centre of their support and was involved, alongside their relative, in developing personalised plans to achieve positive outcomes. Systems were in place to support continuous improvement.

Staff understood the person's needs, preferences and important relationships. The person and their relative were involved in decisions about care and support, and support arrangements were reviewed regularly and adapted when needs changed to ensure they remained person-centred.

The person was treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Their privacy, safety and wellbeing were promoted, and their health needs were monitored to ensure support remained effective. Care was delivered in the least restrictive way and in line with legal requirements, with safeguarding processes in place to protect the person from harm.

Medicines were managed safely, and there were enough skilled and appropriately recruited staff to meet the person's needs. Staff worked effectively with the person's relative and health and social care professionals and received training and competency checks to support safe and effective care.

The provider promoted an open culture where the person, their relative and staff could raise feedback and concerns. Concerns were addressed appropriately, supporting learning and continuous improvement within the service.

The Bakery is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 6 people with a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Some people using the service had profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), with associated communication, sensory, physical and health support needs. Not everyone using the service lived at The Bakery on a permanent basis. Some people attend the service for respite care. The Bakery also provided a domiciliary care service supporting people in their own homes. We inspected both the residential service as well as the domiciliary care service. This report is for the residential service. A separate report is available for the domiciliary care service.

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.

At the time of the inspection, 4 people lived at the service on a permanent basis. In addition, 2 people were staying at the service for overnight respite care and 1 person was attending the service for day respite. Records showed people living at the service had been consulted about others accessing the service for respite care and had expressed positive views about this. Documentation also indicated that most people were already familiar with one another through previously attending day services together. However, people's responses to visitors could vary depending on the circumstances, and staff were aware of the need to provide reassurance and support where required.

The inspection commenced on 27 August 2026 with a site visit. During the visit, one person became distressed by the presence of unfamiliar visitors in their home. To minimise any impact on their wellbeing, we limited our on-site inspection activity to one day and spent most of our time away from the individual concerned. After the visit, we reviewed a number of records remotely. We also engaged with people's relatives and obtained feedback from stakeholders to help inform our assessment of the quality of care provided by the service.

Governance systems were used to monitor the quality of support. Regular audits of support planning and risk management helped identify issues, so that action could be taken to drive improvement. Due to recent management changes within the service, staff were unable to provide detailed feedback on leadership and management arrangements, as these changes were still new and had not been in place long enough for staff to fully assess their impact. Some staff however confirmed they had seen improvements in governance and oversight arrangements, following recent leadership changes.

The service had experienced a number of management changes over recent months. At the time of the inspection, a registered manager from another of the provider's services had recently registered as manager of The Bakery while continuing to manage their existing service. A deputy manager had also recently been appointed and told us they would be based permanently at the service to provide day-to-day leadership and support for staff. The additional management presence was intended to provide staff with greater support and visibility from leaders, helping to improve staff morale and strengthen the culture within the service whilst maintaining good outcomes for people.

People remained at the centre of their support, with staff working alongside them to develop personalised plans and view challenges as opportunities for learning and personal growth. Effective systems were in place to drive continuous improvement and achieve positive outcomes.

Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of people’s social, emotional and relationship needs, actively involving them and their representatives in decisions about their care and support. Support arrangements were reviewed and adapted promptly when needs changed, ensuring a responsive and person-centred approach.

People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, with their privacy, safety and wellbeing consistently promoted. Health needs were monitored closely, and support plans were reviewed regularly to ensure they remained relevant and effective. Care was delivered in the least restrictive manner and in accordance with legal requirements, supported by robust safeguarding processes.

Medicines were managed safely, and there were sufficient numbers of skilled and appropriately recruited staff to meet people’s needs. Infection prevention and control measures were followed effectively. Staff worked collaboratively with health and social care professionals and demonstrated a good understanding of people’s rights. Staff confirmed they received ongoing training to maintain current knowledge and best practice, and competency checks were undertaken to ensure learning was embedded and effective.

The provider encouraged openness and honesty where people and staff felt able to speak up about concerns and give feedback. Concerns were taken seriously and addressed properly, helping the service learn and make ongoing improvements.