Helmsley Road Short Breaks Service

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 4 August 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

About the service

Helmsley Road Short breaks service is a residential respite service providing support to adults of all ages living with a learning disability and autistic people. (Respite is temporary care for primary caregivers.)

There were 8 people using the service at the time of the assessment receiving the regulated activity of personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

Who the service is for

This service is a specialist service for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The service uses a household model of care. People have their own private space and share a kitchen, lounge, activity room, sensory room and dining area. This helps create a familiar home environment where staff can support people in a more personal and flexible way. There are 3 bungalows each with 4 bedrooms.

Key Findings

We carried out this assessment on July 21 and 29 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.

People were supported by enough safely recruited staff, who had the skills and knowledge to provide effective support. Staff consistently spoke positively about training and support available to them. One told us, "The training we receive is very thorough and helps us feel confident in our role. If there was ever anything I didn't fully understand or felt unsure about, it was always explained clearly and in a way that made sense to me."

People received their medicines when they needed them. The team continued to embed recent changes to medicine processes after a local audit. Staff told us how they had been supported to improve their confidence and knowledge in this area. We observed staff supported people safely with medicines with a person-centred approach that was consistent with information in peoples’ support plans.

Staff understood their responsibility to safeguard people from the risk of abuse; they were knowledgeable about what concerns they would need to report and to whom. Risk assessments had been conducted to ensure people were supported with their health conditions. The service manager told us they reviewed support plans to ensure they contained relevant information in order to manage and mitigate risks. Relatives confirmed people were supported to manage health risks effectively. One person told us, “They took time to understand (the person’s) cancer and chemotherapy treatment to make sure they get the right care and support.”

People had opportunities to visit and spend time at the service prior to a respite stay, this was part of the assessment process to ensure people were happy. Pre stay calls were implemented to ensure any updates to care could be organised promptly. Relatives told us how this process had ensured people were included in their choice to use Helmsley Road. One relative told us, “I’m so happy with it. I would say to improve - please leave it as it is. The staff are an amazing bunch of people – so patient.”

The service ensured people were supported to have maximum choice and control over their stay. People were at the centre of the planning and review of their support; this ensured they received personalised care in line with their preferences and diverse needs.

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. Staff and management worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (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.

People were supported by caring and compassionate staff who promoted choices in a way people understood. Staff spoke to and about people with warmth, acknowledged their individuality and respected their dignity. People’s independence was promoted by staff to ensure people enjoyed their stay.

People received person centred support from staff who demonstrated an ongoing commitment to learning in order to maximise their knowledge of people’s individual needs, this included some complex communication needs. Relatives told us how managers and staff consistently sought information, worked with them, and health professionals, and how support plans were regularly updated to reflect this learning and any changes.

The provider’s vision was shared across the staff group. This focused on person centred care, choice, independence and inclusion. Managers and staff provided examples which demonstrated how people were encouraged to influence the quality and development of the service. People were supported to engage in meaningful activities of their choice, including gardening, attending fetes, using the coffee shop, and enjoying seaside outings. Staff listened to their feedback on these experiences and used this information to shape future activities and service improvements.

The registered manager and their team fostered an open culture where everyone’s thoughts and feelings were considered. The management team were supportive and approachable, and promoted a collaborative approach to continually learning and improving the service.