Positive Step

What families say

Families visiting the Hatfields unit often mention feeling genuinely welcomed by staff who make time for conversations and updates. The atmosphere helps relatives feel comfortable during what can be difficult transitions, with staff remaining approachable throughout visiting hours.

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare55
• Management & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-09-07

• Is this home safe?

  Good
  Positive Step was rated Good for safety at its May 2021 inspection. This rating covers areas including staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and how the home responds to accidents and incidents. The home had previously been rated Requires Improvement, so the improvement to Good in this domain is significant. However, the published inspection text does not include specific observations about night staffing ratios, agency use, or the detail of medicines processes. The evidence here is the rating itself rather than a richly documented account.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the care effective?

  Good
  The home was rated Good for Effective at its May 2021 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right training and skills, whether care plans are detailed and kept up to date, whether residents have access to healthcare professionals such as GPs and district nurses, and whether nutrition and hydration are well managed. Dementia is listed as a specialism of the home, which means inspectors would have considered dementia-specific training and care practices as part of this assessment. No specific detail about training content, care plan quality, or food and drink provision is recorded in the available published text.
  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good
  Positive Step was rated Good for Caring at its May 2021 inspection. This domain is typically where inspectors record direct observations of staff interactions, resident wellbeing, and whether dignity and privacy are maintained. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that residents were treated with respect and that staff showed genuine concern. The published text for this inspection does not include specific observations such as whether staff used preferred names, moved at an unhurried pace, or responded sensitively to distress. The evidence is the rating rather than a detailed observational account.
  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good
  Positive Step was rated Good for Responsive at its May 2021 inspection. This domain covers whether the home tailors its care to individual needs, whether activities are meaningful and varied, how the home responds to complaints, and whether end-of-life planning is in place for those who need it. The home supports people with dementia, adults over 65, and people with learning disabilities, which means the activity offer needs to be genuinely flexible and individually tailored rather than a single programme for all. No specific activities, individual engagement examples, or complaint-handling details are described in the published text.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good
  Positive Step was rated Good for Well-led at its May 2021 inspection and has a named registered manager recorded in the inspection data. The improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating across all domains is a meaningful indicator that the management team identified what needed to change and acted on it. This kind of recovery trajectory is generally a positive sign about leadership quality and organisational accountability. The published text does not include specific detail about management visibility, staff morale, how the home gathers resident and family feedback, or the governance structures in place. The home is run by Doncaster City Council.
  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

Section 03

What the evidence base says

The home provides care for people over 65, including those living with dementia or learning disabilities. Physiotherapy support forms a key part of their rehabilitation programmes. Dementia care is available across the home, though the quality of engagement and activities varies between units. Families considering dementia care here should ask specific questions about daily routines and stimulation programmes. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.