Royal Mencap Society - Domiciliary Care Services and Shared Lives - West London

The service is also registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a shared lives scheme and home care agency. We have undertaken a separate assessment of the shared lives provision, details of which can be found on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk. The providers home care service remains dormant.

Who the service is for

This is a specialist service for people with a learning disability and/or 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 received respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

Key findings

We carried out this assessment between 29 September and 6 October 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.

This supported living service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

The registered manager promoted an open and transparent culture where people, staff and others felt confident to raise safety concerns and report incidents. Concerns and incidents were thoroughly investigated, and learning was shared across the staff team to support continuous improvement and help keep people safe.

The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse and knew how and when to report concerns to the relevant people and agencies. A community-based care professional told us, “My clients are kept very safe by staff who work for this provider. I am confident the managers and staff would deal appropriately with any allegations of abuse or neglect. In my experience, the provider takes safeguarding responsibilities seriously, responds promptly to concerns and acts when safeguarding issues arise, follows the appropriate procedures, and works openly with external professionals.” A staff member added, “I would immediately report any abuse I might witness to a manager. I am confident they would let the right local authority safeguarding team and CQC know about the incident, and the police if necessary.”

People were supported to give informed consent. Staff had a clear understanding of the mental capacity act 2005 (MCA) and gained permission before providing any care. Capacity and decision-making arrangements were well documented in care records, and people confirmed they were involved in daily choices, and their consent was always sought. Both managers and staff had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training, and the provider was working in accordance with the principles of the MCA

Risks to people had been assessed, and staff had access to current information and guidance to manage these effectively while promoting people's safety and wellbeing. A community-based care professional told us, “Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the risks faced by the individuals they support and take appropriate steps to prevent or manage those risks”. A staff member added, “Each person we support has risk management plans in place which make it clear what actions we must take to keep the people we support safe. These plans are easy to follow and we get a lot of input from community-based health care professionals to help us develop them. For example, speech and language therapists helped us develop risk management plans to minimise the risk of some people we support choking when they eat or drink.”

The provider assessed risks in people’s living environments and put measures in place to reduce these and keep people safe. People’s accommodation was kept free from unnecessary slip or trip hazards and obstacles which enabled people to move safely around their home. Regular health and safety checks of the premises were undertaken, and equipment and safety systems were serviced and maintained to ensure they remained safe and in good working order. Issues identified through these checks were reported to the housing provider for action.

There was an up-to-date fire risk assessment for the accommodation where people lived and a personal emergency evacuation plan for each person. People knew what to do in the event of an emergency, including a fire.

The provider undertook employment checks on staff to make sure they were suitable to work with people using the service. There were enough staff to provide people with the care and support they needed. People received continuity of care from staff who were familiar with their needs, preferences and daily routines. A community-based care professionals told us, “My clients receive continuity of care from a consistent team of regular support staff. Everyone has an allocated key worker who has a good understanding of their needs, preferences, and outcomes. Staff changes are kept to a minimum, and cover is usually only provided during annual leave, sickness, or emergency situations. This consistency enables staff to build positive relationships with the people they support and helps ensure that care is delivered in a person-centred and reliable manner.”

Staff received appropriate training, supervision and support to enable them to meet people's needs effectively. Training was refreshed regularly to ensure staff delivered evidence-based care in line with current best practice. A community-based care professionals told us, “Staff are well-trained and appropriately supported to carry out their roles effectively. They demonstrate a good understanding of the needs of the people they support, follow care plans and risk assessments appropriately, and work in a professional manner.” A staff member added, “The training we receive is rigorous. It’s always relevant and ongoing, so we keep are knowledge and skills up to date.”

Medicines stocks, balances and records showed people consistently received the medicines prescribed to them. A community-based care professionals told us, “Staff ensure that my clients receive their medicines as prescribed. Medicines are managed safely, and staff follow the appropriate procedures for their administration, recording, and monitoring.”

People received person-centred care from staff who knew them well and understood their individual needs and preferences. A community-based care professional told us, “Care plans are sufficiently detailed, person-centred, and provide clear guidance on how to meet people's assessed needs, preferences, and wishes.”

Staff listened to and involved people they supported, understood how people preferred to communicate and ensured essential information they needed was available in easy to understand and accessible formats. A community-based care professional told us, “Staff know how to communicate effectively with my clients and take the time to listen to what they have to say. They demonstrate a good understanding of everyone’s communication needs and adapt their approach accordingly. Staff are patient, respectful, and encourage people to express their views, wishes, and preferences. Where individuals require support with communication, staff use appropriate methods and involve family members, advocates, or professionals when necessary to ensure the person's voice is heard and understood.”

People, and those involved in their care, were actively involved in assessments and regular reviews to ensure care plans reflected their wishes and how they wanted their support to be provided. The registered manager regularly reviewed people’s care and support to ensure people continued to achieve positive and consistent outcomes.

People were supported to understand their rights around consent before staff provided them with care and support. People were listened to and their feedback was used to make changes to the care and support they wanted. Staff understood people’s right to receive care and support that met their individual needs. A community-based care professional told us, “Staff consistently seek and respect my clients’ consent wherever they have the capacity to make decisions. They involve individuals in decisions about their care and support. Where a person lacks capacity to make a specific decision, staff act in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, ensuring that decisions are made in the person’s best interests and with appropriate involvement from relevant professionals, family members, and advocates where applicable.” A staff member added, “I always seek the consent of people before I provide them with any personal care.”

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect by staff who promoted their privacy, dignity and rights. A community-based care professional told us, “Staff treat my clients with respect, dignity, and compassion always. They a person-centred approach, valuing individuals' preferences, wishes, and rights. Staff support people in a way that promotes their self-esteem and respects their privacy. I have observed staff treat people as valued members of their community.” A staff member added, “I always knock on people’s bedroom doors and ask their permission to enter. When I provide any personal care I would make sure the room door is closed.”

People had choice and control over how their care and support was provided and staff encouraged them to do as much as they could and wanted to do, with activities of daily living, to maintain their independence. A community-based care professional told us, “My clients are encouraged by staff to develop life skills, access their local community, and work towards their personal goals. Staff strike an appropriate balance between promoting independence and ensuring safety, enabling individuals to maintain as much control over their lives as possible.” A staff member added, “I use objects of reference to help one person I support indicate what activities they would like to do. We also have regular house meetings to help people plan menus of the food they want to eat.”

People received fair and equal care and treatment. A community-based care professional told us, “My clients’ equality, diversity, and individual rights are respected. Staff provide support that reflects peoples cultural background, beliefs, preferences, protected characteristics, and personal identity. They promote inclusion, treat people fairly, and ensure that individuals are not disadvantaged or discriminated against.”

The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. A community-based care professional told us, “Staff actively encourage and support my clients to be active members of their local community. They support individuals to access community activities, social events, local amenities, and day centres that reflect their interests, preferences, and personal goals. This support helps to reduce social isolation and promotes inclusion, wellbeing, and a sense of belonging.”

The service had a welcoming and inclusive culture. The registered manager led by example, working alongside staff to motivate and support them to deliver high-quality care in line with the service's values. A community-based care professional told us, “In my experience, the service is well-organised, professional and effectively managed. The management team is approachable, receptive to feedback, responsive, and committed to delivering high-quality person-centred care and support.” A staff member added, “We have a great team spirit amongst everyone who works at the service. I do feel I get all the support I need from the managers and my fellow co-workers. This is a great place to work.”

Governance arrangements were in place to support the delivery of safe, high-quality and sustainable care. The registered manager actively sought feedback from people, relatives and staff to promote continuous learning and improvement. Feedback, together with learning from incidents, audits and quality assurance checks, was used to drive improvements in the safety and quality of the care provided.