Reddington House

This is a specialist service for autistic people and people with a learning disability. It provides support for people who may display distressed behaviours.The service uses a household model of care. People live in small groups that share a kitchen, lounge and dining area. This helps create a familiar home environment where staff can support people in a more personal and flexible way.

We carried out this assessment between 20 August and 11 September 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people's independence, choice and control. People were supported to make informed decisions about their care and treatment, including decisions which involved significant risks. Staff balanced people's rights with proactive risk management and worked closely with health and social care professionals to achieve the best possible outcomes which improved their health and well-being significantly. Staff showed empathy, understanding and persistence during difficult periods. They told us they treated people with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect. One staff member told us, "It was a difficult time but we stayed together and focused on supporting the individual through the decision."

People experienced positive outcomes because staff placed them at the centre of decision-making and delivered highly personalised, proactive support that consistently adapted to changing needs. Staff worked effectively with health professionals to uphold the person's choice while implementing skilled Positive Behaviour Support strategies that prevented escalation and significantly improved quality of life. Incidents of heightened risk reduced significantly to none, resulting in sustained improvements in the person's mental health, emotional wellbeing, communication, confidence and independence. The person re-engaged with their community, resumed meaningful activities and achieved outcomes that enhanced their wellbeing and daily lived experience. A professional described “significant improvement” in mood, communication skills and day-to-day enjoyment, demonstrating the difference staff had made to the person's life.

The provider demonstrated a strong culture of learning, innovation and improvement. Learning from incidents, feedback and reflective practice was embedded throughout the organisation and used to improve outcomes for people. The provider also contributed to wider sector learning through joint training, workforce development and sharing good practice. Professionals described leaders as approachable, reflective and committed to improvement. One professional told us, "The service responded positively to professional input and was committed to continuously improving outcomes for people." Another said, "100 % Reddington House is well led” and “Reddington House works so well, due to the fact it is so well led.”

Professionals described the service as safe and proactive. One professional told us, "The service is absolutely safe." Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of safeguarding and were confident to raise concerns when required. One staff member said, "If I saw a colleague using unnecessary force or being abusive in any way to a person, I would raise it as safeguarding. Even if it was the manager, I would report it."

Staff assessed and understood people’s individual needs and adapted support in response to changes in their circumstances. One staff member told us, "What is important is to treat them as human beings." Another said, "This place is their home. We work with them and work around them."

People were supported to pursue meaningful goals, maintain relationships, access employment and participate in their communities. Staff focused on people's strengths and ambitions, working creatively to remove barriers and create opportunities. As a result, people gained confidence, developed life skills and achieved outcomes that were important to them.

There were effective systems and processes in place to monitor quality, safety and performance. Leaders promoted the provider's values through regular engagement activities, reflective practice and staff involvement. Staff wellbeing was actively promoted and staff felt valued, listened to and supported. One staff member told us, "I love coming to work. It gives me a good feeling because we make a huge difference to people's lives." Another said, "The best managers ever. They help you out with everything. They support staff and service users. You can talk to them freely with any problems. It makes a massive difference."

There were enough staff to support people safely. People were supported by skilled and knowledgeable staff who received training, supervision and ongoing development. Medicines were managed safely and people's health, care and communication needs were regularly reviewed. One staff member told us, "Staffing level is fine. The staffing level is safe for staff and people." A professional commented, "If additional skills or support are needed, staff work together and involve the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure people receive the right support."