Archived: Bluebird Care (Worthing)

Updated 26 May 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 17 and 18 March 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

One inspector undertook this inspection.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to us by law. We considered responses we received from questionnaires we sent out to people who use the service, relatives and friends, care workers and community professionals. We received responses from nine people, three relatives, four care workers and one community professional. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.

We visited the office where we met with the registered manager and two office based staff. We looked at four care records, medicine administration records (MAR), visit record sheets, quality feedback surveys, minutes of care workers' meetings, care workers' rotas and three care workers' files, which included recruitment, training and supervision records. Following our visit we also spoke by telephone with three people who used the service and four relatives. They had not been sent questionnaires.

This is the first time this agency has been inspected since it was registered in May 2014.

Updated 26 May 2016

This inspection took place on 17 and 18 March 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

Bluebird Care (Worthing) is a domiciliary care agency located in Rustington, West Sussex. It provides personal care to 54 people in their own homes, 53 of whom are aged 65 years and over. They include 11 people living with dementia, two people living with a sensory impairment and three people with a physical disability.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

This is the first inspection of the location since it was registered with the Care Quality Commission in May 2014.

According to its brochure, the ethos of the provider was to provide a, ‘Good old fashioned service with a “can do” attitude.” People who used the service and their relatives spoke highly of the care they received. One person told us, “I would recommend them because I am satisfied with the service they provide.” Another person said, “The care workers are caring. They do go the extra mile, especially with the little things! They contact me regularly to keep me ‘in the loop’ and to make sure things run smoothly.”

The culture of the service was ‘open.’ People and relatives were able to raise any issues directly with the management and were assured of a quick response. Carealso felt able to raise any concerns.

People received a safe service. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and reviewed. People and relatives had confidence in the care workers who supported them. Care workers received training to enable them to deliver effective care. They were supported in their roles and professional development by a system of supervision and appraisal.

The CQC monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. The service had policies and procedures regarding the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were able to determine the care they received and the registered manager understood how consent should be considered in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Care workers supported people to prepare meals and to eat and drink if required. They ensured people at risk of malnutrition received adequate nutrition and hydration.

The service worked with community professionals to ensure people’s health needs were met and that they had the necessary equipment to support them in their independence and to maintain their safety.

People and relatives were involved in planning their care and were supported to be as independent as they were able.

The service had systems in place to allocate calls and to ensure consistency of care workers so that they people understood their people’s and knew how they wished to be supported.

The provider had an appropriate system in place to monitor and review the service provided, taking into account the views of people and their relatives. They were also able demonstrate how this information had been used to improve the quality and safety of the service.