Bluebird Care Burnham, Gerrards Cross & High Wycombe Also known as Birch Assist Limited

At our last inspection, the service was rated good.

At this inspection, the service was rated outstanding.

Why the service is rated outstanding:

People were protected from abuse and neglect. We found staff knew about risks to people and how to avoid potential harm. Risks related to people’s care were assessed, recorded and mitigated. We found appropriate numbers of staff were deployed to meet people’s needs and continuity of allocated care workers had improved. People’s medicines were safely managed.

There was good staff training and support. Staff received additional training in specialist areas, such as dementia, and became ‘champions’ who were enabled to teach other workers. People told us staff had the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to provide appropriate care for people. The service was compliant with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and associated codes of practice. 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. There was collaborative working with various community healthcare professionals.

The service was very caring. There was extensive complimentary feedback from people who used the service, relative and friends, and community professionals we contacted. People and relatives were able to participate in care planning and reviews and some decisions were made by staff in people’s best interests. People’s privacy and dignity was respected when care was provided to them.

Care plans were person-centred and contained detailed information of how to support people in the right way. We saw there was a robust complaints system in place which included the ability for people to contact any office-based staff member or the management team. People and relatives told us they had no current concerns or complaints.

Outstanding care was provided to people because the service was well-led. All staff worked continuously as an effective team to improve care, ensure people were safe and increase the care in the home experience. The service received many local and industry awards for the exceptional care provided to people and for their community involvement. The service embraced innovation and continuous improvement in their care approach to enrich people’s lives. The service had an excellent workplace culture for staff.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

People told us they had the information they needed about the service, they said communication was good. People said they were treated with respect and because the service was flexible and responsive, it took account of their changing needs even in the short-term.

Staff told us they were well supported by training and supervision. They felt they had the skills and knowledge they needed and had opportunities to gain more as necessary. This meant they were able to meet people's care needs effectively and safely.

We found the service had policies and procedures in place, including staff training, to ensure people were safeguarded from abuse. In the event abuse was seen or suspected, appropriate action was taken.

The service had effective systems in place to regularly monitor and assess the quality of service people received. Where people raised concerns, these had been addressed and changes made to improve the quality of care service provided.