CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Step Up Support
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risk assessments had improved, staffing was planned around people's needs, and medicines were managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed before they started using the service. Staff had regular training, including training designed for the needs of people using the home.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with dignity and respect and were involved in decisions about their care. Relatives gave very positive feedback about staff.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and reviewed when people's needs changed. People were supported with activities suited to their interests, including activities in the community.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear leadership, an open culture and regular checks on quality and safety. Relatives and staff said the manager was approachable and supportive.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
The home provides short breaks for adults with learning disabilities. It is a four-bedroom house that can accommodate three people overnight. At the inspection, 16 people were using the service.
Inspectors visited on 4 and 5 July 2019. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files and quality checks. They looked around the building and spoke with staff, the manager and four relatives. They could not communicate meaningfully with some people using the service.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found robust safeguarding, suitable risk assessments, safe medicines arrangements, trained staff and person-centred care. The Safe rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection because risk assessments had been improved.
Improved risk planning
The home had improved its assessment of people's risks since the previous inspection. Plans included guidance for staff and were reviewed when needs changed.
“At this inspection we saw people's support plans included assessments of specific risks posed to them.” from the report
Safe medicines
Inspectors found a strong system for receiving, recording and returning medicines for short breaks. Staff training and checks were also in place.
“Medicines were managed safely at the service. The service had a robust system in place for receiving and returning people's medication when they came for a short break.” from the report
Choice and independence
People could choose how to spend their time and were supported to develop skills and become more independent.
“People were supported to maintain their independence and some people engaged in activities of daily living such as, food shopping and cooking a meal.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Relatives spoke positively about the staff. Inspectors found that people were treated with dignity and involved in their care.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Active oversight
The manager and staff carried out regular checks and used meetings to review quality, safety and learning from incidents.
“There were planned and regular checks completed by the registered manager and staff within the service to assess and improve the quality of the service provided.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and support my relative's specific risks before their first short break?
- 02How will you communicate with my relative if they cannot communicate verbally?
- 03Which activities could my relative take part in, both at the home and in the community?
- 04How will you support my relative to make choices and become more independent?
- 05What arrangements are in place for receiving, recording and returning their medicines?
This was a planned inspection of the care provided and the premises, covering all five CQC questions; inspectors could not communicate meaningfully with some people using the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 July 2019 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.
What inspectors found, January 2017
Step Up Support was rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, effective care, but safety arrangements required improvement.
Inspectors visited the home on 21 December 2016. The visit was announced with short notice. They observed care, spoke with the manager, contacted staff and relatives, and checked care plans, medicines, recruitment records, safety certificates and audits.
The home provided short breaks for adults with learning disabilities. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines management, a clean building and trained staff. People were treated with respect, involved in decisions and supported with activities and community visits.
Safety was rated Requires Improvement. Risk assessments were being reviewed to make them more detailed, and the recruitment policy did not include all the information needed to show that staff were fit and proper. The other four areas were rated Good, giving an overall rating of Good.
Kind and respectful support
Inspectors observed respectful and supportive care. Feedback from relatives and the person spoken with was positive.
“The staff are lovely, the service is small and offers a welcoming atmosphere;” from the report
Personalised care planning
Care plans included people's preferences and how they wanted to be supported. They were reviewed when people's needs changed.
“People's care plans were person centred and included people's preferences.” from the report
Trained and supported staff
Staff had induction, shadowing, ongoing training, supervision and appraisals to support them in their roles.
“Staff underwent an induction and shadowing period prior to commencing work, and had regular updates to their training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles.” from the report
Choice and activities
People were supported to make choices, build independence and take part in activities at the home and in the community.
“The service promoted people's wellbeing by taking account of their needs including activities within the service and in the community.” from the report
Risk assessments were being updated
needs fixingThe manager was reviewing risk assessments because they were not yet detailed and effective enough. The manager assured inspectors that all assessments would be reviewed.
“The service was in the process of reviewing people's risk assessments so they were more detailed and effective.” from the report
Recruitment policy was incomplete
seriousThe recruitment policy did not identify all the information required to demonstrate that staff were fit and proper people to employ. The manager said the policy would be reviewed.
“A recruitment and selection policy was in place, but it did not identify all the information as specified in Schedule 3 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008” from the report
Steps at both entrances
minorThe home had steps at the front and back doors. The manager said they intended to improve access and had spoken with a builder.
“We saw there were a number of steps at both the back and front door of the house.” from the report
- 01Have all people's risk assessments now been reviewed, and what changes were made?
- 02Has the recruitment policy been updated to include all the information required by Schedule 3?
- 03What has been done to improve access at the front and back doors?
- 04How will staff understand and follow each person's specialist dietary requirements?
- 05How are people's views gathered when they cannot communicate verbally in a meaningful way?
This was an announced inspection covering all five areas, using observation, records, discussions with the manager and staff, and feedback from one person and five relatives. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 January 2017 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 Up Support
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 13 July 2016.
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.
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Most charge £1,020 to £1,270 a week. 76 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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