Background to this inspection
Updated
22 October 2019
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
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
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
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We obtained the views of professionals who may have visited the service, such as service commissioners and Healthwatch (Derbyshire). Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We visited two people who used the service and spoke with three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, the unit manager, the deputy unit manager, a senior support worker and four support workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
22 October 2019
About the service
High Peak Community Support provides care and support for people with a learning disability in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting four adults who lived together in one house and two adults who lived alone in their own houses. These six people were assisted with their personal care and support needs.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe with the support being provided to them and felt the staff were kind and compassionate. People knew who to contact if they were unhappy with the support they received and believed their concerns would be listened to and dealt with.
Healthcare professionals involved with the service told us they had no concerns about the commissioning of the service or how it was managed. The same support workers supported people most of the time. The provider recognised this was important to people. The provider employed enough support workers, so people's needs could be met in a timely way.
Staff felt they had the right training for their role and all staff went through pre-employment checks. Staff also completed an induction as well as shadowing other staff to get to know people. Staff felt supported by the management team and felt they were available whenever the staff needed guidance.
Support workers had training about how to manage medicines safely and in line with agreed policies and protocols. Support workers followed safe practice for infection control and supported people to keep their homes clean and tidy.
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.
People supported spoke with the highest praise and regard of the staff that provided support and the management team. People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect and were kind, caring and considerate to them. Staff had built positive relationships with the people they cared for and supported. Staff supported people to retain their independence and to remain involved in planning and reviewing their care. This helped to ensure care was provided in accordance with people's preferences.
The management team provided staff with effective leadership and were approachable. Audits and checks were used to drive improvements to the service people received. People's feedback was used to make changes to the service. People, relatives and staff were happy with how the service was being managed.
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 2 November 2016).
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.