CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Step Forward Support
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found effective safeguarding, risk assessments, recruitment checks, staffing and medicines systems. Infection prevention arrangements were also found to be suitable.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff were trained and understood people's health and support needs. Some people who may have lacked capacity did not have capacity assessments, although the manager said these would be completed.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives described kind, respectful care. Staff supported people to make choices and remain as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised, regularly reviewed and communicated to staff. People were supported with their communication, relationships, interests and activities in the community.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers carried out audits, supported staff and involved people and relatives in reviews. The missing mental capacity assessments were identified as an area needing action.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Step Forward Support is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, but some mental capacity assessments were missing.
This was the first planned inspection of the home. One inspector visited without notice on 8 February 2022. They spoke with people, relatives, staff, managers and healthcare professionals, and checked care records, staff files and quality records.
Inspectors rated the home Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found people were relaxed around staff, received medicines safely, and had care plans that reflected their needs and risks.
The home supported people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder to make choices, build independence and use their local community. Inspectors found good staff training, healthcare support, family involvement and management oversight.
Some people who may have lacked mental capacity did not have the required capacity assessment. This was raised during the inspection, and the manager said assessments would be completed.
Promoting independence
The home focused strongly on choice, independence and helping people develop skills and take part in their local community.
“There was a strong focus on supporting people to be independent, develop their skills and access their local community.” from the report
Staff understanding
Staff knew people's health conditions, preferences, risks and support needs. Inspectors saw staff use strategies to reduce distress and keep people safe.
“Staff had very good knowledge and understood people's health conditions and the support they required.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People appeared comfortable with staff, and relatives gave consistently positive feedback about the care. Staff promoted dignity, privacy and independence.
“Staff maintained peoples independence wherever possible. Support plans promoted privacy, dignity and independence.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans covered individual needs, communication, preferences and activities. Families were involved in planning and reviews.
“People's individual communication needs were considered to support them to be involved in their care.” from the report
Healthcare support
The home worked with health professionals and updated care plans when people's health needs or professional advice changed.
“The service worked very closely with other agencies and health professionals in order to meet people's specific needs.” from the report
Missing mental capacity assessments
needs fixingSome people identified as lacking capacity did not have a capacity assessment. The manager said assessments would be completed for everyone who needed one.
“Some people who were identified as lacking capacity did not have a capacity assessment.” from the report
- 01Have all required mental capacity assessments now been completed, and how are they checked?
- 02How will my relative be supported to make choices and remain as independent as possible?
- 03How will staff communicate with my relative in the way described in their care plan?
- 04What activities and community visits could my relative take part in, and how would risks be managed?
- 05How would the home involve our family in care planning and reviews?
This was the home's first planned inspection and covered all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 March 2022 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Step Forward Support
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- March 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 July 2020.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Birmingham
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £950 to £1,230 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“God doesn't make people like her anymore!”
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.