- SERVICE PROVIDER
Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
Assessment report published 3 September 2026
Contents
Ratings - Community mental health services for people with a learning disability or autism
Our view of the service
The Community Learning Disability Service forms part of Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust and provides specialist multidisciplinary assessment, treatment and support for adults with learning disabilities across Dorset. The service is delivered through Community Learning Disability Teams. We visited sites in Bournemouth and Dorchester. The West service includes teams covering Bridport, North Dorset, and Weymouth and Portland, while the East service covers Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Care is predominantly delivered in people's own homes and community settings by multidisciplinary teams comprising learning disability nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists.
The service also includes a countywide Intensive Support Team, based in Dorchester and Poole, which provides rapid assessment and short-term intensive intervention for adults with learning disabilities experiencing deteriorating mental health, behaviours of concern or an increased risk of placement breakdown or hospital admission. The Community Learning Disability Teams and Intensive Support Team operated between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week, with a target response time of two hours. They worked closely with primary care, acute hospitals, social care, commissioners, care providers and families to deliver coordinated, person-centred care, promote independence and support people to remain safely within their local communities wherever possible.
Staff described responding quickly to changes in risk and working alongside community teams, Adult Social Care, providers and commissioners to help people remain safely within their communities wherever possible.
CQC last inspected this service in 2017 under the previous inspection framework. The service was rated as good.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection as part of our planned schedule of assessments and in response to the aged rating of this service.
The services are registered to provide the regulated activities:
• Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
We inspected the service on19 and 20 May 2026. Our inspection team comprised of 3 Inspectors and an Expert by Experience.
Before the inspection visit, we reviewed information that we held about the trust.
During and after the inspection visit, the inspection team:
• visited sites in the West and East of Dorset
• interviewed 2 managers
• interviewed the service manager
• interviewed and spoke with 12 staff members in two focus groups
• reviewed 9 care and treatment records
• and reviewed a range of policies, procedures and other documents relating to the running of the service.
• Attended a patients discharge meeting
After this inspection, we rated the service as good. The Community Learning Disability Service continued to provide safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care. Patients received person-centred assessment, treatment and support that reflected their individual needs, strengths and preferences. Staff worked collaboratively with patients, carers and partner organisations to promote positive outcomes, maintain independence and ensure continuity of care. Risks were appropriately assessed and managed, safeguarding responsibilities were well understood, and patients received safe care in relation to the environment, medicines and infection prevention and control.
Patients, families and carers were actively involved in care planning and decision-making, with information provided in accessible formats and reasonable adjustments made to support equitable access to services. The service demonstrated a positive and inclusive culture, supported by visible leadership, effective governance and a commitment to continuous learning, partnership working and service improvement. The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with nine carers who provided positive feedback about the Community Learning Disability Teams. Families consistently described staff as caring, compassionate, approachable and responsive. Carers reported feeling involved in care planning, reviews and decision-making and valued the strong relationships they had developed with staff. Many described the teams as supportive during periods of crisis and change, highlighting the accessibility of staff and the timely responses they received when concerns were raised. Carers spoke positively about the continuity of care, the personalised approach taken by staff and the service's ability to work collaboratively with families, providers, social care and other agencies.
Several carers reported improvements in their relatives' wellbeing, stability, independence, community participation and quality of life as a result of support from the service. Most carers stated they had never needed to make a complaint and expressed confidence in the care, treatment and support provided.