We carried out a review of the data available to us about BlueBelles Care Agency on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about BlueBelles Care Agency, you can give feedback on this service.
About the service
BlueBelles Care Agency is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to people in Kington and the surrounding areas of Herefordshire. At the time of our inspection the provider was providing personal care for 18 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by safely recruited staff, who had the skills and knowledge to provide support that met people needs. There were enough staff to ensure people received consistent care by staff that knew them well. Medicines were managed safely, and people were protected from the risk of infection.
Effective care planning and risk management plans were in place which guided staff to provide support that met people’s needs in line with their preferences. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were supported by a caring and compassionate staff team and people were made to feel safe. People were supported to maintain links with their relatives during the pandemic and were supported to continue take part in activities they enjoyed.
Systems were in place to effectively monitor the service. There was an open culture within the service. People and staff felt they could approach the management team for support when required. Concerns raised were acted on and improvements were made.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 07 September 2018)
Why we inspected
This was a planned pilot virtual inspection. The report was created as part of a pilot which looked at new and innovative ways of fulfilling CQC’s regulatory obligations and responding to risk in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was conducted with the consent of the provider. Unless the report says otherwise, we obtained the information in it without visiting the Provider.
The pilot inspection considered the key questions of safe and well-led and provide a rating for those key questions. Only parts of the effective, caring and responsive key questions were considered, and therefore the ratings for these key questions are those awarded at the last inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for BlueBelles Care Agency on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
BlueBells Care Agency 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 in Kington and the surrounding areas of Herefordshire. At the time of our inspection the provider was providing personal care for 20 people.
At the last inspection on 8 October 2015, the service was rated 'Good.' At this inspection we found evidence continued to support the overall rating of 'Good.' This inspection report is written in a shorter format, because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
People continued to receive care, which protected them from avoidable harm and abuse. Staff responded to and met people's needs safely. Risks to people’s safety were identified and measures were in place to help reduce these risks. Staff continued to be recruited safely by the provider, and checks were completed on new staff to make sure they were suitable to support people in their own homes. There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people effectively. Medication administration continued to be safe.
People continued to receive care that was effective in meeting their needs, by staff who had the knowledge and skills to support them. People's rights with regards to consent and making their own decisions continued to be respected by staff.
People were supported by staff who knew them well and had caring relationships with them. People felt involved in their own care and staff and managers listened to what they wanted. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity when they supported them and promoted their independence.
People continued to receive care and support that was individual to them. People were encouraged to raise concerns and make complaints and were confident these would be dealt with. The provider was an inclusive service and promoted equality, diversity and human rights with people and staff.
People were listened to when they gave feedback about the service they received. Staff spoke positively about feeling valued by management, who were always available to provide support and guidance. Systems were in place that continued to be effective in assessing and monitoring the quality of the service provided.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
This inspection took place on 8 October 2015 and was announced.
Bluebelles is a domiciliary care agency providing care for people living in their own homes. On the day of our inspection there were 10 people using the service.
There were two registered managers 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.
Staff protected people from harm and abuse and had received training to be able to identify and report concerns that they had. Risks relating to people’s care had been identified and information was available to staff to inform them how to support people safely.
People were supported by staff who were caring and compassionate and who treated people with dignity and respect.
People were involved in planning their own care and staff understood how to support them. Staff encouraged people to be as independent as they could whilst remaining in their own home.
People were supported to make their own choices and decisions about their care and support. The provider encouraged people to raise any issues and people were confident that action would be taken by the management team.
Staff did not start work until appropriate checks had been made to make sure they were suitable to support people in their homes and keep them safe. Staff received induction and ongoing training in order for them to provide care. Staff were supported by the management team and received regular feedback on performance. The managers were approachable and accessible to people and staff.
The provider completed regular quality checks to ensure that good standards of care were maintained. People’s feedback was sought on a regular basis and any areas identified were acted upon.