High Peak Carers is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people in their own homes. The service is managed from an office in Buxton, Derbyshire and covers the surrounding district.

We carried out this inspection on 30 August 2016. It was an announced inspection, which meant the provider knew we would be visiting. This was because we wanted to make sure that the registered manager, or someone who could act on their behalf, would be available to talk with us.

At our last inspection on 21 October 2013, we found that the service was meeting all standards assessed. It was compliant with the regulations and no concerns were identified.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

Staff were appropriately recruited, trained and supported. They had undergone a comprehensive induction programme and, where necessary, had received additional training specific to the needs of the people they were supporting. Communication was effective and regular meetings were held to discuss issues and share best practice. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and spoke enthusiastically about the work they did and the people they cared for.

The provider had detailed policies and procedures relating to medicine management. Staff understanding and competency regarding the management of medicines was subject to regular monitoring checks and medicine training was updated appropriately.

Staff knew the people they were supporting and provided a personalised service and used effective systems for gaining consent. Individual care plans, based on a full assessment of need, were in place detailing how people wished to be supported. This helped ensure that personal care was provided in a structured and consistent manner. Risk assessments were also in place to effectively identify and manage potential risks.

Where people lacked the mental capacity to make decisions staff were guided by the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) to ensure any decisions were made in the person’s best interests.

Systems were in place to effectively monitor the safety and quality of the service and to gather the views and experiences of people and their relatives. The service was flexible and responded positively to people’s changing needs and any issues or concerns raised. People and their relatives told us they were confident that any concerns they might have would be listened to, taken seriously and acted upon.

People we spoke with were happy with the support they received from High Peak Carers. One person told us, "I would not want anyone else to provide my care. They are superb."

We found that systems were in place for assessing people's needs and planning and delivering their care. This included guidance for staff to ensure they were aware of any specific health conditions or disabilities including signs of deterioration in and what to do in case of an emergency occurring. This meant that people received consistent, safe and appropriate care that met their needs and ensured their welfare.

People's consent was obtained before they received care from High Peak Carers. We saw that appropriate procedures were used if people could not consent for themselves, for example due to dementia.

We found enough appropriately trained and experinced staff were provided to deliver people's care at the service.

We found that a complaints procedure was in place and that all comments, commendations and concerns about the service were recorded. People receiving support told us they had not needed to complain but they who to contact if they did have any concerns.

People we spoke with said that High Peak Carers provided a good service. One person told us that it was, “the best thing I ever did when I found them”. Another person's relative told us that the staff were, "absolutely marvellous. They always go the extra mile."

We saw that people's wishes were respected, and that they were consulted about the care they received from High Peak Carers. We also saw that recruitment procedures helped to ensure the right people were employed, and that staff received appropriate training and support.

We saw that staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs. We found, however, that some care files did not contain enough information, for example about health conditions, to ensure that appropriate care was always given.

We saw that the same staff were rota'd to provide people's care, so that they were familiar to them and knew their needs well. We also found that staffing levels for each person were safe and appropriate to meet their needs.