Bluebird Care (Doncaster)

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. People were encouraged to raise safety concerns with staff and supported them to do this in a variety of ways. Staff listened to concerns about safety and reported safety events promptly. Safety events were investigated by the manager, who took the necessary action to reduce the risks of these reoccurring. Lessons were learnt and shared with the staff team, to help them continually improve their practice and keep people safe. Staff understood their responsibilities to record and report accidents and incidents and could complete incident forms via electronic logs.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

Information obtained about people’s needs and risks to their safety, was used to develop and implement individualised care and risk management plans. This helped to ensure people received safe, appropriate care and support as soon as they started using the service. Staff worked well with external professionals, to ensure people received safe support and treatment.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

Safeguarding systems were established and understood. Staff had good understanding of safeguarding procedures and were able to describe how to recognise and respond to signs of abuse, demonstrating awareness of their responsibilities.

The manager understood their responsibilities to report any concerns promptly to the relevant external agencies. Records showed that concerns had been investigated, and safeguarding had been discussed with the staff team to embed their knowledge.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

Information obtained about people’s needs and risks to their safety, was used to develop and implement individualised care and risk management plans. This helped to ensure people received safe, appropriate care and support as soon as they started using the service. Staff worked well with external professionals, to ensure people received safe support and treatment.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

The manager assessed risks posed by people’s living environment and put measures in place to reduce these, to keep people safe.

The manager made sure risk management plans were monitored and reviewed at regular intervals to make sure the measures put in place to reduce risks, remained appropriate. Staff were aware of any hazards in people’s homes.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

Systems were in place which ensured pre-employment checks were carried out and staff were recruited safely. Staff were deployed effectively to ensure people received safe care. People told us staff were always on time and there were enough staff to support them.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. The provider had policies and procedures aimed at promoting good infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Staff had also completed training in IPC. A staff member told us, “I always wear gloves and aprons and masks when required. I also wash my hands and use hand gel.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened. Medicines were safely managed and people told us they received their medicines as prescribed. Staff had completed medicines management training and had their competency assessed to ensure they had the appropriate skills and knowledge to administer medicines safely. The management team checked people received their medicines safely and had systems to support safe administration of medicines including re training staff where shortfalls had been identified.