The Sycamores

“The Sycamores is a care home. There were 8 people using the service at the time of the inspection.”

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“Who the service is for”

“The Sycamores is a specialist service for autistic people and people with a learning disability.”

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“Key findings”

“We carried out this assessment between 24 August and 13 September 2026. We visited the location on 24 and 29 August 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.”

“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.”

“Care was delivered in a way that encouraged people’s independence, choice and access to opportunities while continuing to reduce potential risks. For example, empowering people to access their local community safely without constant staff supervision or travelling independently. Staff recruitment practices ensured people were supported by staff who were suitable for their roles and understood people’s needs, including how to recognise and report abuse. Staff received induction and ongoing development opportunities to support them in their roles. Additional face to face training about Learning Disability and Autism awareness had been arranged for staff. This supported staff to develop their understanding as well as listen to and reflect on the experiences of autistic people and people with a learning disability.”

“Medicines were managed safely with regular reviews and effective oversight, including consideration of STOMP guidance. STOMP (Stopping Over Medication of People with a Learning Disability, Autism or both) is a national initiative which promotes the appropriate use of medicines and regular reviews to reduce unnecessary medicines.”

“The environment was clean and personalised, although action was ongoing to address damp on an outside wall, resolve a wasp infestation and complete planned redecoration work.”

“People can only be deprived of their liberty where this is necessary and authorised through the appropriate legal framework. We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and how Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were managed. 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 and had choice and control over their lives. However, records relating to mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions required greater detail to better demonstrate involvement in decision making. Staff understood people’s rights and the importance of using the least restrictive approach.”

“People received effective care based on detailed assessments of their needs and preferences. Staff understood the importance of seeking consent and supporting people to make their own choices. People were involved in decisions about their care and the running of the home such as menu planning and how to spend their time. Regular key worker meetings helped review people’s experiences and progress towards goals.”

“People told us they were supported to access healthcare services when required. Staff worked alongside health and social care professionals to monitor people’s wellbeing and ensure support remained appropriate.”

“We identified the use of positive…”