Bluebird Care (Worthing)

Updated 18 July 2018

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 comprehensive inspection took place on 15 and 16 May 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager or other staff would be in to speak with us.

The inspection team consisted of 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. This expert-by-experience had particular experience of supporting older people who used a regulated service and of people who had used a community service.

We reviewed information about the service which included the last inspection report and other information that we had received from social care professionals. 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 used all of the information to focus our inspection appropriately.

During the inspection we spent one day in the office with the management team and registered providers and a second day shadowing staff. We visited two people in their own homes with staff from the service. We spoke with the registered providers, the registered manager, the office coordinator, two care staff and a live-in carer. We sought the views of people using the service. We spoke with nine people and four relatives. We also contacted two social care professionals.

We reviewed records at the office which included policies and procedures, quality monitoring systems and processes, minutes of staff meetings, supervision and appraisal records, staff training and recruitment files for three staff and we reviewed electronic records for three people held securely on a secure electronic system.

Updated 18 July 2018

Bluebird Care (Worthing) is a domiciliary care agency located in Littlehampton, West Sussex. It provides personal care to 37 people in their own homes, most of whom were older people aged 65 years and over. People were supported when living with dementia, mental health issues, sensory impairment, physical disability and long term chronic illness. Bluebird Care (Worthing) is part of a franchise brand of services [Bluebird Care] that operate across the United Kingdom.

At our last inspection we rated the service ‘good’ overall and in each key question area. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of ‘good’ and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Following our previous inspection, the agency slightly changed their address for this service by relocating to a different office with the same premises. This did not include a change of postcode and services continued to be operated from the same premises location. Therefore, this is not a newly registered service as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website indicates. For this reason, we are writing this inspection report as a ‘return to good’ service and not as the first inspection report for this service.

People were supported by a kind and caring staff and management team and without exception people told us that they were happy and felt safe with the care and support they received. Systems and processes including staff training enabled people to receive a safe service. Care staff worked hard to help people during their own time as well as during paid work hours. The registered manager had a very good understanding of new data protection legislation to protect people’s privacy and had implemented new documentation ahead of the implementation date which ensured staff and people fully understood their rights in relation to their personal data and how the agency would use this information. Information was held securely for people with daily notes recorded electronically and stored in a password protected system.

People were treated with sensitivity and empathy by staff who knew them very well. People were involved with decisions about their care, with medicines being given safely to people. Risks to people were clearly understood and well managed. Staff were trained to support people who may experience behaviours that may challenge and supported people sensitively in these circumstances. Staff supported and encouraged people to live as independently as they were able to with those who may be living with dementia also being supported to engage in activities and experiences to promote their independence. People were provided with positive opportunities to enjoy favourite pastimes with staff support and encouragement which included outings to cafes and trips to the seaside.

People were involved in decisions about their care and staff supported people to receive a personalised service. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The organisational policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff and the management team had a very good understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and of how to support people to live the lives they wanted to but also to uphold the best interests for people. Staff supported people to access healthcare services when they needed to.

People received a responsive service that supported people compassionately at the end of their lives. The staff were well trained to provide appropriate and compassionate care and support to people which enabled them to have a comfortable, pain-free death. Relatives were very happy about the compassion and kindness their family members received. People understood how to raise complaints should they need to. People and their relatives told us they had not needed to make complaints about the services provided.

There was a registered manager at the service who had joined the agency since our previous inspection. The service was well managed by a professional management team with support from the franchise owners who were also the registered providers for this agency. There was a clear culture of continuous improvement with quality and safety being at the core of the business and care and support provided to people. People and staff were involved and engaged in the development of the service. Staff ‘loved’ working for the agency. One staff member said, “I am happy about everything, I always get support [from management].”

Further information is in the detailed findings below.