Archived: Bluebird Care Bury

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on speaking with ten people who used the service or their relatives, speaking with ten staff who supported them and looking at records.

Is the service safe?

We saw on care records that risk assessments had been carried out to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people using the service. A person and a relative with complex support needs told us they thought that the care workers who supported them were competent to do so and they felt safe.

Is the service caring?

A person receiving support said the care workers were, 'Really nice girls. They are always on time, though it would not matter to me if they weren't. There is no rushing in and out and they are good company. I get on well with them.'

Although all care workers had been given the opportunity to change there working arrangements some had chosen not to. This was to ensure good continuity for the people they were supporting.

People using the service or their relatives told us about their personal preferences in relation to staff and confirmed they were being met. For example, one person using the service told us they preferred male workers to help with their complex mobilising procedure, where as a relative said 'My mum prefers to have ladies supporting her who have similar interests and a certain level of maturity.'

Is the service effective?

Where people who used the service lacked capacity the provider had requested verification from families that they had Lasting Power of Attorney and had the legal authority to make decisions on people's behalf. The majority of care workers had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) training.

Is the service responsive?

At our last inspection visit in September 2013 we raised some concerns about the service. The provider sent us a detailed plan of what action they were going to take to ensure improvements were made to the service delivery for people using the service and for the care workers supporting them.

A relative told us they thought the service had improved and gone from 'Good to outstanding. The care workers handle any issues brilliantly and swiftly. They work well with the other healthcare professionals involved in my mum's care and keep me informed.' Another relative said they were very confident in the ability of the regular staff who came to support their relative. They told us there are rarely any problems and if there were 'that's life.'

We discussed with the provider a recent emergency situation which had involved the use of the hoist. The provider told us about what procedures they had put in place to address this type of situation should it occur in the future.

Is the service well led?

The provider was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission and had created a new management team to carry out the day to day running of the service.

The provider was well organised and demonstrated they now used computerised systems more effectively to monitor the day to day running of the service. For example, punctuality and continuity of staff support.

The provider had asked people who used the service or their relatives and the staff for their views and opinions about the quality of the service they received and taken action to make improvements.

One care worker commented that they thought the 'Culture and the attitude of the company had changed' and said that they thought the provider, 'genuinely' wanted the best for people using the service and the staff team.

People were asked to give their consent prior to care taking place. However, where a lasting power of attorney (LPA) was said to be in place this was not verified. One person told us they had specifically said they did not want male care workers to deliver their personal care, but they said male care workers went to their house.

People's care needs were assessed and their care plans were updated regularly. One person told us they did not have a care plan in place and had to tell care workers what was required. One care worker told us they had not been trained to deliver the required care to a person with specific needs.

There was an effective recruitment system in place. The required checks had been carried out for all new staff before they started work.

Care workers and people receiving care told us there were problems with staff shortages. They said visits were often late and sometimes care workers did not turn up.

We saw that the provider had a system in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. However, we saw no evidence that issues such as staff shortages were being managed.

People spoke positively about the care and support they received. We were told; 'They are all very good', 'I can't praise them enough' and 'There's good communication'.

Individual records were held for each person at the agency office as well as the persons own home. People confirmed that staff completed report sheets when they visited them in their home. People said, 'The staff always do what is requested of them', 'They make me feel at ease', 'They go above and beyond' and 'They consider my privacy and dignity when providing me with care'.

Each of the people we spoke with said they were happy with the care and support they received. They all confirmed that they had the relevant information so that they could contact the office if they needed to. People said they had 'No concerns' and 'I've never needed to raise anything with them'. The manager was described as 'Very approachable'.