We carried out a review of the data available to us about Steps Support on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Steps Support, you can give feedback on this service.
Steps Support is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. The service supports a range of people, including people who have a learning disability or autism, and people with physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection the service supported three people with personal care. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People were safeguarded from the risks of abuse by staff who understood their safeguarding responsibilities and knew how to raise concerns. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place.
COVID-19 protocols and risk assessments were in place and staff received appropriate training and ample PPE. Where risk assessments needed to be more person-centred the provider acted promptly.
We have made a recommendation about risk assessments.
People’s relatives spoke highly of staff, as did external professionals who had worked with them.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.
Right support:
• The care and support in place maximised people’s choice, control and independence.
Right care:
• Support was person-centred support, appropriate and inclusive.
Right culture:
• The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff supported people to lead inclusive and empowered lives.
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.
Relatives told us staff were caring, kind, and often went out of their way to ensure people felt safe and supported. People and their relatives were fully involved in the care planning and review process.
There was a positive culture at the service; staff supported each other when there were unexpected absences and the provider had not had to use agency staff. Staff felt involved in the running of the service and their opinions valued.
There were systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality of care being provided. Where these could be improved to focus more on ensuring good practice was in place, the registered managers were responsive to feedback.
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 9 August 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on our approach to inspecting newly registered services.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.