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Steeple View

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Reeds Way, Stowupland, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 4BW (01449) 678514

Provided and run by:
Orwell Housing Association Limited

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 11 January 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried about by an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The Expert by Experience made telephone calls, off site, to obtain feedback on the service from people and their relatives.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is bought [or] [rented] and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care service.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 1 November 2021 and ended on 15 November 2021. We visited the office location on 1 November 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We visited the office location on 1 November 2021. We reviewed a range of records which included risk assessments, medication records and care plans for two people. We also viewed accident and incident records and management monitoring and oversight records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We had contact with two people who receive care and support from Steeple View about their experience and seven relatives. We also had electronic feedback via email from seven staff members.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 11 January 2022

Steeple View provides care and support to people living in an 'extra care' housing setting. Extra care housing is purpose built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people's personal care provided by the service.

Not everyone living at Steeple View received the regulated activity of personal care. On the day of our inspection 28 people were receiving this service. Steeple View consists of 36 one and two-bedroom self-contained apartments over two floors. The service is situated in a quiet rural area on the edge of the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk. The service provides support to people to live in their accommodation, with their own tenancy agreements.

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

People felt safe with the care and support provided by the service. All staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to protect people from potential harm. Safeguarding policies and processes were in place.

People were supported by a staff team who were safely recruited and who had the relevant training and qualifications to safely support them. Staffing and recruitment was a challenge, particularly considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, staff worked hard to ensure that people received their care calls as planned and no one missed any care.

People's care plans were detailed and person-centred. They included information on people's family, history, skills and interests.

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.

Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were in place. Quality monitoring systems allowed for effective monitoring of the service by the provider.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 4 September 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.