Background to this inspection
Updated
14 November 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 one 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 houses and flats.
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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider and manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 10 October and ended on 11 October 2019. We visited the office location on 10 October 2019 and made telephone calls to people and relatives on 11 October 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was also asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This gives some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with eight people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff as well as the registered manager and managing director.
We reviewed a range of records during the inspection. We checked four care records of people who were receiving personal care, medication administration records (MARs), three staff personnel files and other records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures and quality assurance processes.
Updated
14 November 2019
About the service
Bluebird Care (Wirral) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 34 people across Wirral. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Governance systems were in place, although some areas required improvements. The newly registered manager was aware that quality assurance processed needed to be strengthened as a way of monitoring the quality and safety of care people received.
People’s support needs and areas of risk were established from the outset; staff were familiar with the care needs of the people they supported and their likes, wishes and preferences.
Safe medication administration systems were in place. Staff received appropriate medication training and people told us that they felt ‘safe’ when receiving medication support from the care staff who supported them.
Staff were familiar with safeguarding procedures and knew how to report their concerns as a way of keeping people safe. There was also an up to date safeguarding policy in place; this contained relevant guidance for staff to consult.
People continued to receive support by staff who had been safely recruited. Safe recruitment procedures ensured that people received personal care by staff who had undergone the appropriate recruitment checks.
The registered manager disclosed that staffing levels had been a recent area of concern. However, she explained how this was being managed to ensure people continued to receive the care they needed.
Staff were supported with training, learning and development opportunities. Staff were very complimentary about the new registered manager and told us they found her approachable and supportive.
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 and relatives told us that the staff team were ‘brilliant’, ‘kind’ and ‘lovely’. People we spoke with confirmed that the staff team delivered person-centred care that was tailored around their support needs.
The registered provider had an up to date complaints policy in place. People were provided with the complaint procedure from the outset and told us they knew how to make a complaint if they needed to.
People were encouraged to share their thoughts, views and suggestions in relation to the quality of care they received. Quality questionnaires were circulated and used as a measure to improve the provision of care people received.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was ‘good’. (published 07 April 2017). At this inspection the service remains ‘good’ although improvements are required in the ‘well-led’ area.
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.