Bluebird care (Central Bedfordshire)

Updated 11 June 2019

The inspection:

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.

The membership of the inspection team:

The inspection was undertaken by an inspector, an assistant inspector and two experts 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. Their area of expertise was caring for older people and people living with dementia.

This inspection site visit took place on 23 May 2019 and was announced.

Service and service type:

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. 107 people were receiving this service.

Not everyone using Bluebird Care Central Bedfordshire receives the regulated activity of personal care. 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection.

We gave the service five days’ notice of the inspection site visit because some of the people using it could not consent to a home visit from an inspector, which meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this. We needed to speak with people as well as relatives of people who lacked the mental capacity to do this.

What we did before the inspection:

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least annually. This provides us with information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to assist us with the planning of this inspection. We also looked at other information we held about the service. This included information from statutory notifications the provider sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us such as, incidents or allegations of harm.

Prior to our inspection we contacted the local safeguarding authority and commissioners of the service to ask them about their views of the service. These organisations’ views helped us to plan our inspection.

What we did during our inspection:

Inspection site visit activity started on 20 May 2019 and ended on 23 May 2019. It included speaking with people and relatives by telephone. Between to 20 May and 22 May 2019 we spoke with a total of 14 people and nine relatives.

We visited the office location on 23 May 2019 to see the registered manager and the nominated individual who has overall responsibility for the quality of service provision. We spoke with one care coordinator, two supervisors and five care staff.

We looked at care records and policies and procedures and care documentation for five people and their medicines' administration records. We also looked at two staff files, staff training and supervision planning records and other records relating to the management of the service. These included samples of records associated with audit and quality assurance, accidents and incidents, meeting minutes, compliments and complaints.

Updated 11 June 2019

About the service:

Bluebird care (Central Bedfordshire) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to younger people, people living with dementia, people with a physical disability, older people and people with sensory impairments. Its office is based in the town of Flitwick and provides a service across central Bedfordshire. At the time of our inspection visit there were 107 people receiving a service of personal care.

Peoples experience of using this service:

Appropriate steps had been taken to safeguard people. Sufficient numbers of staff with the required skills had been recruited safely and deployed to keep people safe. Risks to people were identified and managed well. One person spoke fondly of their care staff and said, “I feel safe knowing I can rely on [staff]. I have never, ever had a missed [care] visit.” People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed by trained and competent staff. Lessons were learned when things did not go quite so well. Infection control systems promoted good hygiene standards.

Skilled staff were provided with the necessary support including coaching, shadowing experienced staff and regular supervision. People's independence was upheld and promoted. Staff enabled people to access healthcare support by working well with others involved in people’s care. 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 supported this practice.

People were cared for by staff with compassion, kindness and dignity. Staff knew people well and they promoted people’s privacy, culture needs and independence. People had a say and choice in who and how their care was provided. One person told us, "I do think it's more than a job to my care [staff]. With the [care needs] I have, they seem to understand how I feel. Brilliant [staff].”

People’s care was person centred and based on what was important to them. People's concerns were dealt with and acted on before they became a complaint and to the person’s satisfaction. Systems were in place to meet people’s end of life care needs and help ensure a dignified and pain free death. One compliment from a relative stated, "The family wish to express our sincere thanks to all the staff who cared for [person] and [staff] who looked after then with such kindness. Thank you also for the kind expression of sympathy and condolences which were a great comfort to us all."

The registered manager promoted and supported an honest and open staff team culture. Staff upheld the provider's values by helping people live a meaningful life. Governance and oversight of the quality of the service was effective in driving improvements which changed people's lives for the better. People had a say in how the service was run. The service and its management team worked well with other organisations. People received care that was highly coordinated and as a result they led a life they might otherwise not have been able to. One person told us, "I have used other care agencies and Bluebird Care is by far the best."

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated as Good. (report published 18 October 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk