• Care Home
  • Care home

Speedwell Court

Overall: Outstanding read more about inspection ratings

Mansbridge Road, West End, Southampton, SO18 3HW (023) 8235 6990

Provided and run by:
Abbeyfield Society (The)

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 10 September to 11 September 2025.

This assessment was carried out in response to concerns raised about how the home was being managed and about the management of falls risks and privacy and dignity issues.

 

We observed positive staff interactions with people living at the home. Staff were kind, considerate and responsive and this was further confirmed through feedback from people and relatives we spoke with.

 

The registered manager promoted a positive learning culture and people could raise concerns.

 

Staff received training in safeguarding and safeguarding referrals were made appropriately.

 

There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs. Systems and procedures for recruiting new staff were robust. Staff received training and this was monitored to ensure it was up to date.

 

There were effective processes to prevent and control infection. Regular audits were carried out to oversee the cleanliness and safety of the environment.

 

People’s medicines were managed safely by trained staff who received regular competency checks.

 

Staff were well supported and spoke positively about the leadership and management of the home.

 

Systems and processes to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service were in place and operated effectively. The provider’s home improvement plan showed actions were taken to improve and address any identified shortfalls in service provision.

 

There was a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement. The registered manager strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They promoted an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

 

We received positive feedback from an external health and social care professional about how the service worked in partnership with them.

19 July 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

About the service

Speedwell Court is a residential care home providing personal care to 41 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 80 people who may be living with dementia, a physical disability or sensory impairment. The home accommodates people in a single purpose-built building with an enclosed garden. The provider had taken a planned phased approach to achieving full occupancy of the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they were happy at the home. One person said, “It’s a lovely place, lots to do.” Relatives felt they had made a good choice for their loved ones. One relative said their loved one was “happy, settled and safe”.

The provider went to exceptional lengths to find out what people had done in the past and facilitate activities in the home and outside which supported them to maintain their sense of identity and personality. The provider supported people to maintain skills and share interests with demonstrable benefits for the wider community in the home. People were able safely to develop friendships and relationships with others in the home. People’s care and support met their needs and reflected their preferences. The provider was aware of and followed best practice guidance. There were particularly good facilities for people to take part in activities inside and outside the home which reflected their interests and prevented social isolation.

People were safe and protected from avoidable harm and abuse. The provider supported people to keep themselves and their belongings safe and secure. The provider had processes to manage people’s medicines safely, and had put in a variety of infection control measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

People had a service which was effective and led to good outcomes for people. Feedback from people and their relatives about the effectiveness of the service was consistently good. There was particularly good feedback about the living environment, which was modern, designed to a high standard, and adapted to meet people’s needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

There were caring relationships and interactions between people and staff. Staff had got to know people, their interests and families really well. Staff respected and promoted people’s privacy and dignity, and encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People’s care was delivered by a service that was consistently well managed and well-led. The leadership and culture promoted high-quality, person-centred care, and a strong team ethos. Staff morale was positive after an exceptional period of stress in the adult social care sector, and there was an up-beat atmosphere in the home.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 3 June 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection in response to risk based on the length of time this new service had not had an inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.