Turning Point - Masons Road

Who the service is for

Turning Point – Masons Road is a specialist service for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

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. We were assured the service met the principles of ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ and people received safe, person-centred and outcomes focussed care and support.

Key findings

We carried out this assessment between 8 and 10 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.

Care plans identified risks to people’s emotional wellbeing and long-term health conditions, such as epilepsy or declining mobility. Staff understood risk management strategies and were observed gently prompting people to keep them safe. Where a need was identified, adaptations to the environment had been made and equipment introduced to improve people’s safety in their home. Staff described a collaborative approach to problem solving following accidents and incidents to improve people’s safety.

People received 1 to 1 support from staff during the day. Staff told us they felt confident in their role because of the training and support they received and would not hesitate to report any concerns people were at risk of abuse or discrimination. Only staff who had completed medicines training and had their competency assessed were authorised to give people their medicines. The registered manager understood and implemented the principles of STOMP (stopping over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both) and ensured people's medicines were reviewed by prescribers in line with these principles.

People’s care and support plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they remained relevant and helped people achieve good outcomes. People were encouraged to be involved in meal planning and preparation and supported to eat and drink well. Where people required the texture of their meals and drinks to be modified to mitigate risks, this was clearly recorded and known by staff.

Staff regularly monitored people’s health, such as blood pressure, temperature, bowels, fluid intake and weight. Where required, people were referred to a range of services to help maintain their health including GPs, psychiatrists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists. One health care professional told us staff acted promptly with concerns and commented, "I would rather know there is a problem and deal with it to prevent it getting worse rather than wait for the next appointment. The good thing is they (staff) tell us."

Staff understood the importance of involving people in making their own decisions where possible and giving them choice, freedom and control. One staff member told us, “I know sometimes we have to make some decisions for them, but the majority of the time, by putting it in a different way, you can help them to make that decision." 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.

Staff knew people well and were respectful of their individual preferences, routines and choices. Staff listened to and observed people to understand how they wanted to spend their time, what they wanted to do and what was important to them. One staff member commented, “They are individuals and it is very important we are aware of that."

Staff understood the importance of advocating on behalf of people to overcome barriers and achieve positive outcomes. Staff and a visiting healthcare professional gave examples of when the registered manager and staff had spoken up for people to ensure they got the support and services they needed. A staff member explained, “It is just giving them a voice sometimes that they don’t have."

Staff were very positive about working at Turning Point – Masons Road and their role in ensuring people received safe, effective care and had opportunities for meaningful engagement in their local community. Staff described the registered manager as very supportive and always being available to them and the people they supported. The provider's values were displayed in the office and staff told us they were encouraged to share feedback and make suggestions for developing the service during staff meetings and individual supervision sessions.

There were systems to check the safety and quality of service provision and seek feedback from people, relatives and the staff team. Governance processes were overseen by the provider to ensure standards were maintained and regulations met.

The provider had introduced new tools to check the accuracy of care plans and monitoring records and ensure staff had the right skills to meet people’s needs. Staff were encouraged to identify areas where they felt more training would be beneficial and new learning sessions through discussion and research had been introduced. The registered manager explained, "It is more discussion and thought provoking. It is about team building and what the team needs." Learning from adverse incidents and celebrating success were shared through the provider group to support continuous improvement and development.