We carried out a review of the data available to us about Bluebird Care (Waltham Forest) 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 (Waltham Forest), you can give feedback on this service.
Bluebird Care (Waltham Forest) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 47 people at the time of the inspection. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and relatives told us they were happy with the service and the care provided. One relative said, “Overall, they are very good. We like everybody in the office. We are very happy because they are lovely people. We give them nine out of ten. Would definitely recommend them.”
Systems were in place to help protect people from the risk of abuse. Risks people faced were assessed and managed. There were enough staff to support people and checks were carried out on staff before they commenced working. Medicines were managed in a safe way and steps were taken to reduce the spread of infection.
Assessments of people’s needs were carried out before they began using the service. Staff were supported in their roles through regular training and supervision. People were supported to make choices about their lives including what to eat and drink. The service worked with other agencies to meet people’s healthcare needs. 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 told us staff were kind and caring and that they were treated respectfully. Staff understood how to promote people’s privacy and independence. The service sought to meet people’s needs in relation to equality and diversity. Confidentiality was promoted and information about people was not shared without proper authorisation.
Care plans were in place which were personalised around the needs of individuals. These were subject to regular review. The service met people’s communication needs. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints received had been dealt with in line with the provider’s procedures.
The service had a registered manager in place. Staff and people spoke positively about senior staff and told us they were supportive and helpful. Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place, some of which included seeking people’s views about the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 25 January 2017).
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.
There was a registered manager at the service. 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.
The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing policies in place and staff knew what action to take if they suspected someone was being abused. Safe recruitment checks were carried out. People had risk assessments carried out to ensure safe care was provided and potential risks were minimised. There were systems in place to ensure people were supported to manage their medicines safely.
Staff were supported with regular training opportunities and supervisions. The registered manager and staff were knowledgeable about their responsibilities around the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and when they needed to obtain consent from people. Staff supported people with meal preparation and were aware of people’s nutritional requirements.
Staff were aware of people’s needs and how to develop positive relationships. People and relatives thought staff were caring. Staff demonstrated their awareness of how to provide dignified care, respect people’s privacy and encourage independence.
Care plans were personalised and staff demonstrated awareness of providing personalised care. Complaints were dealt with appropriately and in accordance with the provider’s policy.
The provider had systems to check the quality of the service provided. People and their relatives were asked for their views about the service. Staff had regular staff meetings to receive updates on the service.