Archived: Bluebird Care (Scarborough and Bridlington)

Updated 13 March 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 checked 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 inspection took place on 30 January 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service providing support to people in their own homes. We needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office. We visited the office location to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care 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 by Experience in this case, had experience of caring for older people. They supported our inspection by making telephone calls to people who used the service and their relatives to help us understand their experiences and views on the service provided.

As part of planning our inspection, we contacted the local Healthwatch and local authority safeguarding and quality performance teams to obtain their views about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer group, which gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to tell us about within required timescales.

During the inspection, we reviewed a range of records. These included three people's care records containing care planning documentation and daily records. We looked at three staff files relating to their recruitment, supervision, appraisal and training. We viewed records relating to the management of the service and a wide variety of policies and procedures.

During the inspection, we spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager. We also spoke with two relatives and four people who used the service.

Updated 13 March 2018

Bluebird Care (Scarborough and Bridlington) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to people with the following range of conditions: learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health, physical disability and sensory impairment.

Not everyone using Bluebird Care (Scarborough and Bridlington) 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. The service covers Scarborough, Bridlington and the surrounding villages.

The provider took over the location of Bluebird Care (Scarborough and Bridlington) in July 2017. This was the first rated inspection.

We inspected this service on 30 January 2018. The provider was given 48 hours' notice of our visit because we needed to be sure that someone would be in the location's office when we visited. At the time of our inspection, there were 23 people using the service who were receiving support with personal care. At this inspection we found the service was Good.

At the time of our inspection the service had 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 who used the service told us they felt safe and well cared for and staff were able to tell us what they would do to ensure people were safe.

Medicines were administered in the correct manner and handled safely to protect people.

Staff were recruited safely. The service had sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff deployed to care for people who used the service. People were protected by the infection control procedures carried out by staff.

Training was up to date across a range of relevant areas. Staff were knowledgeable and demonstrated they had the skills and aptitude required to provide care to people who used the service.

Staff had received up to date training in Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff understood that people should be consulted about their care and they understood the principles of the MCA and DoLS. People were supported to make choices and best interest decisions were made when required.

People's nutrition and hydration needs were met. People enjoyed their meals and they had choices around their meals and drinks.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff worked in a person centred manner and treated people with dignity and respect. Staff had positive, genuine relationships with the people they supported. People told us staff were kind and caring.

Staff worked well together as a team. They had good shared knowledge about people’s needs.

Care plans contained detailed information which reflected people's individual requirements and detailed their preferences. Care plans were kept up to date when people's needs changed. People were involved in devising their care plan and they had active input into the reviews of their care. People’s choices and preferences were respected.

Records and observations provided evidence that people were treated in a way which encouraged them to feel valued and cared about. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported.

People told us they knew how to make a complaint. They told us they would be confident their concerns would be listened to.

The manager of the service supported the staff to be effective in their role. Staff told us the manager was approachable and empathetic.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

The provider completed regular audits of the service which ensured good quality assurance was maintained.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.