A care home in Chesham which was rated inadequate has turned itself around being found to be “outstanding”.

Birchwood, run by Salutem LD BidCo IV Limited, is a residential care home for autistic people and people with a learning disability.

Its rating has now been upgraded by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in January.

The inspection was carried out by the commission to follow up on improvements it told the home to make as part of previous enforcement action, which included breaches of regulations related to safe care and treatment, safeguarding and management.

At the latest inspection the CQC found the service had made “significant improvements”, saying the home was no longer in breach of any regulations.

The CQC has upgraded the rating for well-led from inadequate to outstanding and the rating for caring from good to outstanding. Safe improved from inadequate to good and effective improved from requires improvement to good. Responsive was re-rated as good.

Neil Cox, the CQC’s deputy director for adult social care, said: “When we last inspected Birchwood, we found serious failings in safety and leadership that were putting people at risk of unsafe care.

“It’s really encouraging to see the significant improvements the service has made since then.”

The home was placed in special measures in 2023 after inspectors found people were at risk of injury and choking.

In a report, published in 2023, the health watchdog said risks to people were not mitigated.

It also highlighted safety failings in handling medication, staff training and record keeping.

However in the latest report it said the home was a place where “kindness, compassion and dignity were embedded in everyday practice and supported positive outcomes for people.”

It said: “The provider was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences and at promoting people’s independence.

“People were supported to understand their rights and had choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. This resulted in people leading active meaningful lives, with access to a wide range of activities, community involvement and events that were important to them.

“The provider had a very clear shared vision, strategy and culture and was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.”

Kasia Stopa-Kucab, manager at Birchwood, said: “We are incredibly proud of this result. The journey from our last inspection to achieving Outstanding has required determination, reflection and a shared commitment to doing better every single day.

“The people who live at Birchwood have complex health needs, and our team have worked tirelessly to ensure sustained improvements in quality, safety and leadership. It truly has been a collective effort.”