- Care home
Durlston House
Assessment report published 27 May 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 25th March to 1st April 2026. Durlston House is a care home service providing accommodation and personal care for adults with learning disabilities and autistic people. This inspection was carried out in response to the rating of requires improvement at the last inspection. At this inspection we found the provider had made improvements and was no longer in breach of regulations.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
The provider had taken action to address all the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. The service now had effective systems to ensure people were supported by staff who were competent, skilled and experienced. Staff had received effective training to help them support people. There were now sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and the support hours commissioned by the local authority. Staffing levels enabled people to access their community. The service now had effective systems to manage risks people experienced.
People were supported to take their medicines safely. Incidents were clearly recorded and reviewed by managers to ensure any learning from incidents was implemented. The provider had successfully worked to reduce restrictions on people and improve their quality of life.
People had support plans which reflected their individual needs. The provider worked with health and social care professionals to ensure people had access to the care they needed. Staff said they could raise any concerns with the management team and were confident action would be taken as a result.
Managers kept clear records of decision-making processes where people did not have capacity to consent to their care and treatment. Information was provided for people in formats which were more accessible for them, and staff were skilled in people’s communication methods. Members of the management team demonstrated they had the skills, knowledge and experience to lead effectively. Governance systems were now effective in identifying shortfalls in the service and ensuring improvements were made.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives were positive about the quality of their care and support. Relatives said they thought people were safe living at the service and knew who they could talk to if they had any concerns. We observed that people were relaxed in the company of staff. People showed us round their home. Relatives told us staff were available to support people to do the things they wanted to.
Relatives said people received good support from knowledgeable staff who treated them as individuals. During the inspection we observed staff gaining people’s consent before providing any support and when planning what people wanted to do.
We observed people being treated with respect by staff who knew people’s needs. People spoke briefly to us to say hello and appeared happy. One person was confident to tell us they didn’t want us to come into their room. Relatives told us staff were kind, respectful and patient. Comments from relatives included, “The staff are very caring” and “I know [person] is happy at Durlston House.”
People were supported to take part in a range of activities, depending on their wishes.
Relatives felt the service was well managed. People knew staff and leaders and had developed strong relationships with them. We observed people interacting confidently with staff who demonstrated a good understanding of their needs, including how to communicate with them.