The Old Red Lion

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 1 May 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of Assessment: 1 March to 17 March 2026. We undertook multiple sites visits to assess this service including a visit out of hours. The Old Red Lion is a residential care home providing support to younger adults who were autistic and/or had a learning disability. At the time of the assessment there were 7 people living at the home. The Old Red Lion was last rated good (published 22 June 2018). This assessment was prompted by the age of the services previous rating.

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.

The provider went above and beyond in adapting the environment to meet people’s individual sensory needs and known triggers. For example, structural changes were made to bedrooms to prevent distress caused by items on the walls, while still allowing essential fixtures to be safely included. In other cases, discreet, embedded air‑conditioning units were installed to support people who struggled with regulating temperature. These personalised adjustments not only reduced stress but promoted comfort, stability and emotional wellbeing.

We observed warm, patient and attuned interactions throughout the home. Staff consistently used kind, reassuring approaches and demonstrated a genuine understanding of each person’s preferences, histories and emotional states. People were supported to participate in meaningful activities every day, and their visible enjoyment showed the depth of trust they had in the staff supporting them.

The provider also prioritised education, personal development and upskilling, ensuring people were supported to learn both practical and life skills. This included helping people develop independence, communication, personal organisation and confidence in new environments. People benefitted from carefully designed support that broke learning into achievable steps, enabling them to succeed at their own pace.

Emotional wellbeing was a clear priority. Staff provided thoughtful, compassionate support during periods of anxiety, stress or fear. They used personalised calming strategies, predictable routines, sensory tools and safe spaces to help people understand and cope with overwhelming feelings. This approach helped people feel more in control and reduced anxiety‑related behaviours.

The provider also demonstrated a strong commitment to reducing restrictive practices. Staff reflected on learning from previous incidents and used these lessons to introduce positive, enabling approaches that supported choice, independence and autonomy. These changes were applied consistently across the home so that everyone benefitted from the same high‑quality, respectful support, resulting in reduced distress, increased trust, and more positive experiences for people.

Feedback from keyworker meetings showed that people felt safe, happy and secure. Records demonstrated that people were enabled to express preferences and indicate concerns in ways meaningful to them, and staff reliably understood and responded to these communications.

All relatives we spoke with said they were extremely happy with the provider. They described notable positive changes in their loved ones since living at the home including improvements in confidence, emotional stability, independence, engagement and quality of life. Families valued the open communication, the inclusive approach, and the evident dedication staff showed to ensuring their relatives thrived. People experienced exceptional emotional security, personal growth and wellbeing, supported by a provider that consistently went beyond expectations to ensure the environment, staffing approach and culture genuinely enhanced people’s lives.