Bluebird Care (East Hertfordshire)

Updated 9 April 2022

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.

This was an inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the Warning Notice in relation to Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by two inspectors.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager who had applied to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Being registered with CQC means that the manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The service was being supported by an interim manager in addition to the manager who had applied to be registered.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it was a remote inspection and we needed to be sure that the manager would be available to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 28 February 2022 and ended on 19 March 2022.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection-

We spoke with nine people who used the service and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the interim manager and received feedback from six staff members. We had contact with the nominated individual, who had applied to be registered, through email prior to them going on leave. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at records relating to three staff files to check recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at quality assurance records.

Updated 9 April 2022

About the service

Bluebird Care (East Hertfordshire) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support to 87 people at the time of the inspection.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

People felt they were safe and most felt well supported by the service. Some people felt care could be more person centred. The interim manager acknowledged that more work was needed to ensure that all care plans reflected people’s needs, choices and preferences. A plan was immediately put in place to address this.

People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring. Staff enjoyed working for the service and told us the culture was to ensure care was person centred.

Individual risks were assessed, and staff were aware of these. Reviews of events and accidents were completed, and any actions needed were carried out. Staff supported people with their medicines, and this was monitored by a member of the management team. Staff knew how to report any concerns about a person’s safety or welfare.

People told us staff did not miss visits, however, at times they were later than planned but they were informed. The provider had a system for monitoring visits for variation in arrival times and shorter visit times. An explanation was sought and recorded when this arose.

Staff received appropriate training for their role and people felt staff had good knowledge and skills. Staff felt well supported by the provider and management team. People told us staff assisted them with eating and drinking as needed. People were asked to give their consent for support and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed.

People and relatives were asked for their views about the service. However, there were mixed views about how often feedback was sought and the effectiveness of action taken in response to issues being raised. Staff were also asked for their views and felt listened to. There were monitoring processes in place to help ensure a good standard of service and identify any shortfalls. Quality assurance systems identified any areas that needed further development. The manager who had applied to be registered was away from the service at the time of the inspection, the service was supported by an interim manager who had been working with the service for a number of months. They worked closely with the care supervisors and local authority to help ensure a good service for people.

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

Rating at last inspection

The rating at the last inspection (published 16 September 2021) was inadequate and there were multiple breaches of regulation. We issued the provider with a warning notice.

This service has been in Special Measures since 16 September 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to check whether the Warning Notice we previously served in relation to Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 had been met.

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 was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.