Stable Steps Care Centre

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 10 November 2025. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

The inspection began on 30 June and concluded on 16 July 2025. Stable Steps Care Centre is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 50 people. The service provides support to older and younger adults and people living with dementia and other cognitive impairments. At the time of our inspection there were 44 people living at the home and almost half of these people were people under the age of 65 years. The registered manager told us that 95% of people at the home were living with dementia or other cognitive impairments.

The inspection was carried out to follow up on the warning notice issued to the registered manager for a continued breach relating to person centred care, along with other breaches found at the last inspection relating to governance, safe recruitment and insufficient staffing levels.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to person centred care. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of this regulation. We found concerns relating to how people’s individual needs were met, how their preferences for care were reflected and how care was appropriate for each person, particularly in relation to people who received an enhanced level of funded support due to their conditions.

The provider was in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment. We found people’s medicines were not always managed safely and risks to people were not always managed safely and effectively.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe recruitment. Enough improvement had been found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to staffing. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation. We found there were now enough staff to meet people’s needs as there were several people living at the home who received an enhanced level of funded support. We received positive feedback from staff about the management of the service and the support provided. However, we were not assured of the efficacy of the e-learning training provided to staff and staff told us they had to do this training in their own time.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to governance. Sufficient improvements were not found at this inspection, and the provider remained in breach of this regulation. Although we found improvements in staffing levels and safe recruitment, the provider had failed to ensure they consistently provided safe care and treatment and had not made all the necessary improvements to concerns found at previous inspections. These included medicines management, risk management, safe environments, person-centred care and overall governance of the service.

Stable Steps Care Centre has now been rated requires improvement for the last three inspections and at every inspection since their registration with CQC. This meant there was a of a history of failing to respond adequately to serious concerns raised by CQC.

In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to some of the concerns found at this assessment.