We carried out a review of the data available to us about Bluebird Care (Chichester) 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 Bluebird Care (Chichester), you can give feedback on this service.
This service is a domiciliary care agency based in Chichester, West Sussex. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. At the time of the inspection it provided personal care to 114 people in their own homes, in the Chichester and mid West Sussex area. These people were aged between 30 and 100 years and had a range of care needs. Bluebird Care (Chichester) is part of a franchise brand of services of Bluebird Care which operate across the United Kingdom.
The service had a registered manager. 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 were consulted about their care and had agreed to the care being provided. The provider had policies and procedures regarding the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and care workers received training in this.
People said they received a reliable service although there were comments that some of the arrival time could be improved; care workers also reported not having sufficient travel time between each appointment. The provider was aware of this and had already acted to address this. The provider had introduced an IT system whereby care workers used a smart phone to access care records and to record the care tasks. The system enabled the administrative and management team to oversee all care appointments and alerted them if any calls or tasks had not been completed.
People and their relatives said they would recommend the service to others and reported they received a responsive and caring service. Comments from people included the following for example, “They do anything I ask. I’m fairly unsteady on my feet. If they get everything done that I need them and they still have time they will make me a cuppa and have a chat with me. When you’re on your own it’s good to know you have someone nice who you can trust coming in and they’ll do what I ask.”
People said they felt safe with the care workers and received safe care. Care workers had completed training in safeguarding procedures and knew what to do if they had any concerns about the safety of welfare of people.
Risks to people were assessed and there were details in care plans of how to mitigate these risks and keep people safe. These included procedures for transferring people and we observed care workers did this safely.
Care workers followed procedures to prevent and control infection.
The provider took action to look into any concerns such as safeguarding incidents.
Care workers were supported by a range of training courses and regular supervision. There was an induction procedure for new care workers as well as the monitoring and appraisal of their work. Staff felt supported and had access to management staff for advice and guidance.
People were supported with food and drink, where this was applicable, which was recorded in care records. Health care needs were monitored and referrals made to health care professionals.
The provider looked into and responded appropriately to complaints.
There were no people in receipt of end of life care and the provider had plans to train key staff in this and to register for accreditation with the Gold Standards Framework for end of life care.
People, their relatives and care workers stated the provider was open and responsive to any concerns raised or suggestions. People were consulted and involved in their care reviews and there was a system for asking people for their views about the service which was part of the ongoing monitoring of the agency.
Bluebird Care (Chichester) is a domiciliary care service that provides support to people in West Sussex, including Chichester, Bognor Regis, Midhurst, Rogate, Emsworth, Climping and The Witterings. At the time of our visit the service was supporting 150 people with personal care.
The service had a registered manager. 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 and their relatives spoke positively about the service and told us that they enjoyed good relationships with the staff who supported them. They felt involved in determining the support they received and said that they were encouraged by staff to be as independent as possible. People told us that staff were respectful of their privacy and treated them well. One relative wrote in a card of thanks to the provider, ‘I hope I don’t need Bluebird Care yet but hope when the time comes I can be fitted in!’
People received a safe service. Staff understood local safeguarding procedures. They were able to speak about the action they would take if they were concerned that someone was at risk of abuse. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and reviewed. There were enough staff employed and the rotas were managed effectively. The registered manager was working to improve consistency in the staff supporting people. People received their medicines safely and at the right time.
People had confidence in the staff who supported them. Staff received training to enable them to deliver effective care. They were supported in their roles and professional development by a system of regular supervision. People were able to determine the care that they received and staff understood how consent should be considered in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff supported people to prepare meals and to eat and drink if required. The service worked with community professionals to ensure people’s health needs were met and that they had the necessary equipment to support them in their independence and to maintain their safety.
When there were changes in people’s needs, prompt action was taken to ensure that they received appropriate support. The service used an electronic records system which meant supervisors could check that staff had arrived to carry out each visit and monitor the delivery of care by seeing that all necessary tasks had been completed. People were asked if their care needed to be reviewed and had an opportunity to raise any concerns or make suggestions. People, relatives and staff all confirmed that the management team listened to them and responded to concerns. Complaints had been addressed fully and appropriately.
The registered manager monitored the quality of the service through a system of regular spot checks on care delivery along with monthly monitoring of care and staff files and key performance indicators. In addition, representatives of the provider visited the service to conduct quality audits. The registered manager and provider were proud of the new electronic monitoring system that was introduced in autumn 2015. They spoke of how it had improved the service by providing ‘real-time’ monitoring information and described how the system would be used to enhance performance monitoring once fully implemented. Where actions had been identified these were monitored to ensure that improvements were made in a timely way. This helped to ensure that the service delivered was of a consistently good standard.