Background to this inspection
Updated
23 August 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by an 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.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. 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 four working days’ notice of the inspection. This was because senior staff are often out during the day carrying out their duties and we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we already held about this service. This included details of its registration, previous inspection reports and any notifications of serious incidents the provider had sent us. We contacted the local authority with responsibility for commissioning care from the service to seek their views.
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
During the inspection we spoke with four staff; the registered manager, care manager, care coordinator and care supervisor. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and medicine records. We looked at six staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed. The Expert by Experience carried telephone interviews with five people who used the service and six relatives.
After the inspection
After the inspection we carried out telephone interviews with two care assistants. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
23 August 2019
About the service
Bluebird Care (Waltham Forest) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 47 people at the time of the inspection. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and relatives told us they were happy with the service and the care provided. One relative said, “Overall, they are very good. We like everybody in the office. We are very happy because they are lovely people. We give them nine out of ten. Would definitely recommend them.”
Systems were in place to help protect people from the risk of abuse. Risks people faced were assessed and managed. There were enough staff to support people and checks were carried out on staff before they commenced working. Medicines were managed in a safe way and steps were taken to reduce the spread of infection.
Assessments of people’s needs were carried out before they began using the service. Staff were supported in their roles through regular training and supervision. People were supported to make choices about their lives including what to eat and drink. The service worked with other agencies to meet people’s healthcare needs. 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 told us staff were kind and caring and that they were treated respectfully. Staff understood how to promote people’s privacy and independence. The service sought to meet people’s needs in relation to equality and diversity. Confidentiality was promoted and information about people was not shared without proper authorisation.
Care plans were in place which were personalised around the needs of individuals. These were subject to regular review. The service met people’s communication needs. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints received had been dealt with in line with the provider’s procedures.
The service had a registered manager in place. Staff and people spoke positively about senior staff and told us they were supportive and helpful. Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place, some of which included seeking people’s views about the service.
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 25 January 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.