Background to this inspection
Updated
26 October 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.
The inspection took place on 5 and 7 September 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to talk to us.
The inspection was conducted by one inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert had experience of caring for someone who used domiciliary care services.
Before the inspection feedback was requested from local authority commissioning teams and the local Healthwatch. We reviewed the information we already held about the service, including statutory notifications we had received.
During the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service and eight relatives. We spoke with 11 members of staff including the national care advisor, the business manager, the care manager, two field supervisors and six care workers. We reviewed five people’s care files and eight people’s medicines records. We reviewed four staff files. We also looked at various meeting minutes, audits, action plans and documents relevant to the management of the service.
Updated
26 October 2016
The inspection took place on 5 and 7 September 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to talk to us.
Bluebird Care Newham and Tower Hamlets provides people with personal care in their own homes. They provide care to older people, as well as people with physical disabilities and people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection they were providing care to 36 people.
Bluebird Care Newham and Tower Hamlets registered with the Care Quality Commission in April 2016 when they took over the running of the service from a different provider. At the time of the inspection the business manager’s application to become the registered manager was being considered. 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 told us they felt safe when they received care. Staff were knowledgeable about how to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. Records showed staff raised any concerns about people’s safety and the provider took appropriate action to ensure people’s safety. The service identified risks faced by people and implemented measures to mitigate these risks.
The service had identified that staffing levels, and staff availability were currently insufficient to meet the needs of people using the service. The service was completing a targeted recruitment drive to address this issue. Staff were recruited in a safe way that ensured they were suitable to work in a care environment. Once in post staff received the support and training they required to ensure they had the necessary skills to perform their roles.
The service supported people to take their medicines. Management audits had identified that records of medicines administration were not consistently completed. The service was taking action to address issues with medicines management to ensure this was done safely.
People were involved in writing and reviewing their care plans, with relatives where appropriate. Care plans were detailed and personalised. Where the service supported people with eating and drinking, documentation was detailed and ensured staff had the information they needed to ensure that people ate and drank enough and maintained a balanced diet. Where people had health conditions that affected how they received support this was clearly recorded along with the actions staff should take to ensure people had appropriate access to healthcare services. Records showed the service liaised with healthcare professionals as needed. Care plans were reviewed and updated in response to people’s changing needs.
People told us staff had a caring attitude and they had developed positive relationships with their regular care workers. People told us they felt they were treated with dignity and respect. Staff spoke about the people they supported with kindness and affection. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the impact they had on people’s lives. Care plans contained details of people’s cultural background and religious beliefs including how this affected how people wished to be supported.
The service had a robust complaints policy and people told us they knew how to make complaints. Records showed the service operated with transparency and responded to all negative feedback as a complaint. Feedback was analysed and this led to action plans to ensure that lessons were learnt from feedback.
People, relatives and staff all spoke highly about the management of the service. People and relatives told us the quality of the service had improved. Staff told us they felt supported to develop by management. The provider completed regular quality assurance audits in the service and had clear plans in place to improve the quality of care delivered.