This inspection was carried out on 30 August 2016 and was announced. At their last inspection on 30 January 2014 they were found to be meeting all the standards we inspected. At this inspection we found that they had continued to meet the regulations.

Crossroads Care Hertfordshire North is a domiciliary care agency. It offers a respite break service for carers by providing care and support to family members in their own home. At this inspection 54 people were being supported by the service.

The service has a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were positive about the standard of care and support they received. Care and support plans gave staff clear information on how to support people safely. Individual risks were assessed and reviewed. Staff were given guidance on how to work safely and provided with a handbook which included the provider’s policies and values.

Staff were recruited through a robust recruitment process and received the appropriate training for their role. Staff told us they felt equipped and supported in their role. People told us there were enough staff to ensure that their visits were on time and not missed. There were plans in place to develop the staff team to ensure that any visits that needed to be covered would be done so more easily. The management team were also developing champions in key areas such as dementia care and dignity.

People were involved in planning their care and were given choices. Staff ensured they had people’s consent before providing support or care and worked in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were asked for their views and their complaints were responded to appropriately. People, their relatives, staff and professionals were positive about how the service was run and the leadership shown by the management team.

During our inspection of Crossroads Care Hertfordshire North on 30 January 2014, people who used the service told us they had been involved in decisions about the levels of care and support provided to them. One person told us, “They [staff] do exactly what we have asked them to do. We have given them a brief and they follow it. I like the fact that they never assume….they always ask if it’s OK to do this or that. They ask what we would like done each time.”

We looked at records which showed that people’s care and support needs had been assessed, documented and reviewed. They were personalised and gave staff clear guidance on how to meet people’s individual needs and requirements. A relative of a person who used the service told us, “The care is very good. I find the service excellent….the care worker is excellent and really cares about [family member].”

Records showed that effective recruitment procedures were in place to ensure that staff were fit, able and properly trained to meet people’s needs. This included carrying out appropriate checks before staff began work. Suitable arrangements were also in place to ensure staff had been appropriately supported to perform their roles. One member of staff commented, “My manager is very good, passionate about care and I am absolutely well supported. They [the provider] have helped me to learn and develop new skills.”

We looked at records which showed that systems had been put in place to manage risks effectively and to regularly assess and monitor the quality of services provided.

When we inspected Crossroads Care on 09 January 2013 we found that people were given information about the service and that their independence was supported. One person said, "They send a carer twice a week and this allows me to go out and shop or spend time doing the housework." A staff member told us, "This agency is providing a really good service because it helps people to keep their independence and gives them time off to do what they need to do."

People received care and treatment according to their own specific needs. One person said, "The service is excellent. I couldn't manage without them." Another person told us, "They provide me with comprehensive support and I get everything I need."

People told us they felt safe with the staff from the agency. We found that the staff and the management were knowledgeable about abuse and about safeguarding procedures.

The agency recruited sufficient staff based on the numbers and support needs of people using the service. Those staff were appropriately trained for their role.

The provider actively sought people's views in order to ensure that the quality of the service was maintained. We saw that people using the service, their relatives and staff had all been canvassed for their views within the six months preceding our visit.