27 January 2017
During a routine inspection
Bluebird Care Weymouth and Portland is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service provided personal care and support for 42 people.
There was a registered manager 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.
People’s medicines and creams were administered safely however we found there was a risk that the electronic recording system used by staff did not reflect the medicines given. We found an example of a person receiving the right medicines but the wrong records being kept. We spoke with the registered manager about this and they addressed this straight away by raising staff awareness and considering changes to the auditing system.
People’s care was not always recorded due to problems with the electronic system that the staff used. We discussed examples we found with the registered manager. They spoke with the company who supplied the electronic system and had changes made which would ensure these gaps would be highlighted immediately.
People spoke positively about the care and support they received. They told us staff treated them with respect and kindness and we saw people were comfortable with staff in their homes. People told us they felt safe. They were protected from harm because staff understood the risks they faced and how to reduce these risks. Staff knew how to identify and respond to abuse; including how to contact agencies they should report concerns about people’s care to.
Staff understood how people made choices about the care they received, and encouraged people to make decisions about their care. Care plans reflected care was being delivered within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
There were enough safely recruited staff to ensure people received their visits as planned. Staff were consistent in their knowledge of people’s care needs and spoke with confidence about the care they provided to meet those needs. They were professional in their approach and motivated to provide the best care they could. They told us they felt supported in their roles. They had received a robust induction and training that provided them with the necessary knowledge and skills to do their job effectively.
People had access to health care professionals and were supported to maintain their health by staff. Staff understood changes in people’s health and shared the information necessary for people to receive safe care. Where people had their food and drink prepared by staff they told us this was prepared well. People were left with access to appropriate drinks and food between visits.
Management were committed to making continual improvements to the quality of care. This included development of new skills and expertise amongst the staff team in response to people’s identified needs and specific training needs identified and requested by the team. There were systems in place to review and monitor the quality of the service people received including feedback from people and staff.
The organisation worked to improve the support available to people in the community. They provided a member of staff to support the running of a local dementia café and offered financial support to small local support groups. This support led to enhanced knowledge amongst the staff team about support available and this information was shared with people who received care and support.