Archived: Bluebird Care - Purbeck

Updated 21 June 2018

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 17 and 18 May 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service to people in their own homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be at the office and able to assist us to arrange home visits.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector on the first and second day. Phone calls to people were completed on the second day by 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. They had experience in dementia care and care at home services. We visited the office location on the first day to see the registered manager and provider; and to review care records and policies and procedures. On the second day we visited people in their own homes.

Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service. This included notifications the service had sent us. A notification is the means by which providers tell us important information that affects the running of the service and the care people receive. We contacted the local authority to obtain their views about the service.

We had not requested a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We gathered this information during the inspection.

During the inspection we visited four people who used the service and spoke with one relative. We telephoned a further nine people to gather their views. We also spoke with five members of staff, the registered manager and nominated individual. We received feedback from one professional who had knowledge of the service.

We looked at a range of records during the inspection, these included four care records. We also looked at information relating to the management of the service including quality assurance audits, health and safety records, policies, risk assessments, meeting minutes and staff training records. We looked at three staff files, the recruitment process, complaints, training and supervision records.

Following our inspection visit, we requested further documentation from the service. This included contact details of relatives who had given consent for us to possibly contact them and feedback survey responses. This information was provided.

Updated 21 June 2018

The inspection took place on the 17 and 18 May 2018 and was announced.

The service is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 33 people.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own apartments in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger adults, people with dementia, physical disability or sensory impairment, mental health, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. Not everyone using Bluebird care Purbeck receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

Bluebird Care Purbeck office is situated in Wareham. It provides support to people living in Swanage, Wareham and surrounding areas.

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 were protected from the risk of harm by staff who understood the possible signs of abuse and how to recognise these and report any concerns. Staff were also aware of the risks that people faced and understood their role in managing these to ensure people received safe care.

People were supported by enough staff to provide effective, person centred support. Staff were recruited safely with appropriate pre-employment checks and received training and support to ensure that they had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs.

People received their medicines as prescribed and staff worked with healthcare professionals to ensure that people received joined up, consistent care.

People were supported from the spread of infection by staff who understood their role in infection control and used appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

People were supported to make choices about all areas of their support and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink. People’s preferences for meals were well known and staff offered people choices about what they ate and drank.

Where people had medical decisions in place around their end of life care, these were sometimes recorded. The registered manager told us that they would make sure that these were consistently recorded if people had decisions in place.

People and those important to them were involved in planning the support they would receive and were asked for their views about the support and any changes to people’s needs. Reviews identified where people’s needs had changed and reflected changes to the support provided in response to this.

People were supported by staff who respected their individuality and protected their privacy. Staff understood how to advocate and support people to ensure that their views were heard and told us that they would ensure that people’s religious or other beliefs were supported and protected. Staff had undertaken training in equality and diversity and understood how to use this learning in practice.

Interactions with people were kind and caring and we observed that people chatted with staff and were comfortable with them in their homes.

People were supported to access healthcare professionals when required and the service worked with external agencies to ensure that people received joined up, consistent care.

Staff were confident in their roles and felt supported by the office team. Feedback indicated that the office were approachable, listened and took actions where necessary.

Quality assurance measures were regular and used to identify any areas for improvements. Action plans were in place to record these.