Stepping Stones

People living at Stepping Stones have access on site to an art room, a music room, a gym and a sensory room as well as an outdoor swimming pool.

Based on our review of key questions of safe, responsive and well-led, the service was not always able to fully demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

The manager and provider had implemented new monitoring systems to continue to improve the quality of the service people received. However, more time was needed to allow these systems to bring about and sustain individualised outcomes for all people. In addition, some of the systems were not always effective or audited to ensure they picked up the concerns we identified during the inspection.

Right support People were supported by staff who understood their care and support needs, and what was important to them.

Since our last inspection progress has been made in ensuring people were being supported to start accessing the community again post COVID-19 to enjoy activities and outings. Staff knew people well, however people were not always supported to identify and achieve their aspirations and goals.

People were supported to access specialist health care services and maintain contact with their families.

Right care People's risks were identified and managed by staff. People's care records reflected their emotional and health needs and progress has been made in identifying shortfalls in people's care records and updating

these. However, some support plans still lacked comprehensive individualised details about people's social and leisure/occupational aspirations and how they wanted to be supported to achieve this. Further time and development were needed to demonstrate that people's lives were enriched by a service that focused on their wishes, needs and rights.

Right culture Staff had positive relationships with people and their relatives. There was visible leadership and management of the service and the registered manager's vision was "to give people who live here a voice."

The model of care being provided at Stepping Stones did not always maximise people's choice, control and independence. The provider had identified areas that required improvement and was working on their service improvement plan. However further time was needed to enable the provider and management team to demonstrate how the improvements being made would enhance people's quality of life and well-being for all people living at Stepping Stones such as empowering people to live a life of their choice.

The provider recognised that their values and the principles of Right support, right care, right culture guidance still needed to be fully understood and embedded into staff practices to ensure people were explicitly supported to live a fulfilled life.

People's relatives told us that their loved ones felt safe living at Stepping Stones.

People's personal risks had been identified and assessed which gave staff guidance on how they should support and monitor people to reduce their individual risks. Risks relating to the environment were now assessed.