High Peak Short Break Service

High Peak Short Break Service provides accommodation and personal care for short periods for adults with a learning disability who normally live in their own homes. Some people receiving care also have physical disabilities and mobility difficulties. The service provides care for a maximum of three people at a time and is based in the village of Hadfield in the High Peak area of Derbyshire.

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 support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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

People told us they felt safe whilst being cared for at High Peak Short Break Service. Systems were in place to safeguard people from abuse and staff knew their responsibilities in keeping people from harm. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and the same staff supported people which ensured continuity of care. Risks to people were assessed and managed. Medicines were managed safely where minor recording issues were noted; these were dealt with promptly. Systems were in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection.

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 communicated positive feedback about the service and staff. Health professionals feedback demonstrated a responsive service. Staff were attentive to people's needs and knew individuals well. Staff spoke passionately about the people they supported and worked to uphold their rights. The service achieved positive outcomes for people through attentive care, understanding and responsiveness to the needs people communicated to them.

People had a positive experience whilst staying at High Peak and were comfortable in the company of staff who supported them. Staff knew people well and consistently interacted with people in a person-centred way. Staff understood how to provide care which promoted people's privacy, dignity and independence.

People, relatives and staff provided good feedback about the management of the service. They were confident that concerns were dealt with and resolved to their satisfaction. Staff told us the registered manager supported them at all times and had an 'open-door' policy.

People were asked their opinions on the service by attending meetings and completing surveys, suggestions had been acted upon. There was an open and transparent culture within the service. There were effective quality assurance systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided.

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

The last rating for this service was good (published 3 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.

This inspection took place on 12 August 2016. The last inspection took place 31 October and 13 November 2013 and the service was complaint with all the areas we inspected.

High Peak Short Break Service provides accommodation and personal care for short periods for adults with a learning disability who normally live in their own homes. Some people receiving care also have physical disabilities and mobility difficulties. The service provides care for a maximum of three people at a time and is based in the village of Hadfield in the High Peak area of Derbyshire.

There was a registered manager and a manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe and secure using the service. Staff understood how to keep people safe. Staff understood how to protect people from potential harm and how to report any concerns. There were systems and procedures in place which were followed to ensure appropriate pre-employment checks were made prior to staff working with the people who used the service.

People received support from staff who had completed a range of training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to effectively meet people’s needs. Medicines were stored and managed in a safe manner.

People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who were kind, caring and compassionate. Staff had a good understanding of people’s complex and individual needs and preferences. Staff promoted people’s independence. Where possible, people were involved in the planning and delivery of their care. Care plans were reviewed and relatives were actively involved in sharing their knowledge of their family member to ensure consistency in people’s care and support.

Effective communication between staff and managers was in place at the service and staff felt they were kept updated and involved with the running of the service. Staff felt supported by the management team. Staff told us it was a nice place to work and there was a culture of being open, fair and transparent. Staff received supervision and attended team meetings.

People and their relatives were asked for their views about the service. Auditing systems were in place to monitor the safety and quality of the services provided to people.

The provider had a complaints procedure in place and relatives felt confident if they had a concern, they would be addressed in a timely manner.

People's views were respected and they were involved in planning their care at the service. Care planning was generally detailed and images were used in care files to help people to be involved. Most risks that could affect people had been assessed and guidance provided for staff to help keep people safe.

Staff received training and were aware of procedures to protect people from abuse. We found training was appropriate to meet people's needs and that staff were well supported by managers.

We saw there was a complaints procedure in place at the home and people were confident any concerns would be responded to appropriately.