Lifeways celebrates major turnaround at south coast service

A Lifeways residential care home in Southampton is celebrating after the service improved from Requires Improvement to an overall Good rating from Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors. 

Delrose provides accommodation and personal care for six people with learning disabilities and autistic people and has been rated ‘Good’ following its latest assessment in November 2025. 

The rating marks a significant improvement from the previous inspection, with the service no longer in breach of regulations regarding safe care and treatment, safeguarding, staffing, and governance. 

The CQC assessed the service against five key areas – Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led – with all categories achieving a ‘Good’ rating. 

Key strengths highlighted: 

• Safeguarding excellence – Staff demonstrated strong safeguarding knowledge and acted promptly to protect people from harm 

• Effective risk management – Risks were assessed and managed holistically, enabling people to maintain independence and positive lifestyles 

• Robust staffing and training – Safer recruitment practices in place, with staff completing statutory and bespoke training for learning disability and autism support 

• Person-centred care – Care plans reflected individual preferences and goals, with staff promoting choice and independence 

• Proactive health management – People had access to routine and specialist health services, with staff responding quickly to changes in health 

• Strong application of Mental Capacity Act – Best interest decisions documented and advocacy available when needed 

• Evidence-based practice – Use of nationally recognised tools such as MUST and commitment to Positive Behaviour Support principles 

Family members were full of praise for the Delrose team, according to inspectors, with one quoted in the report as saying: “The new manager has transformed the service and recognised people as people and not numbers. Over the past year we have seen a significant improvement and feel our relative is not only safe but happy.” 

In addition, inspectors recognised the hard work that the team had done in building positive relationships with partner organisations. 

One told the CQC: “It has been a very positive experience to work with Delrose. I was allocated at a very difficult time, and some significant concerns were raised by family members. I feel that we have worked well together to repair and rebuild relationships which has enabled Delrose to continue to improve their service and achieve a much better quality of life for the people living in the home.” 

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Lifeways’ Residential Division, said: “I am so proud of the team at Delrose who have worked incredibly hard to turn this service around. 

“To move to a Good rating from Requires Improvement across the board is an exceptional achievement and should not be underestimated. 

“While this is a great moment for the team and for the families of the people we support, we won’t be complacent and know that we must continue working hard to maintain the high expectations we set at Lifeways.” 

Find out more about Delrose here: Delrose | Lifeways