Bluebird Care Clapham and Streatham

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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 made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Care plans were completed with input from people using the service. A person told us, “I was involved with the care planning process.” Annual reviews of care plans were then undertaken, and complex care packages were reviewed every 6 months. People and, where appropriate, their families were involved in these reviews to ensure their needs, preferences and any changes were fully reflected.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Staff knew people well and understood their needs. A person told us, “Yes, [staff] know my history very well.” A family member said, “[My relative] is happy. Her main carers know her well;

they are very good.”

Electronic systems were used across the service, and all ongoing records and reviews were completed within the system. This ensured that information was entered directly and could be accessed by all relevant staff in real time.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Meetings were used to support communication and oversight within the service. Management held regular meetings to discuss people using the service, review care-related matters, and monitor any emerging risks or themes. Group staff meetings were arranged when a specific care package needed to be discussed or when updates on individual issues were required.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

People’s health was monitored effectively. Family members shared positive feedback, including, “[Staff] are so understanding; they encourage [my relative] to eat,” and “I am very happy with their support. [My relative] had an appointment and the carers took her to that appointment.” Clinical oversight was provided by an internally recruited nurse. To ensure staff remained competent, the nurse delivered clinical training and completed competency assessments for staff as required.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

There was a strong focus on continuity of care, with the same staff members allocated to people wherever possible. Depending on the size and complexity of the care package, 3 to 4 staff members were typically assigned to support a person receiving daily care.

Staff used an electronic system to record care notes. The system prevented staff from logging out until all required tasks and notes had been completed, helping to ensure accurate and

complete record-keeping.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People were confident staff asked for permission before providing care and offered choices. A person said, “Yes, [staff] would always [provide choices].” A family member told us, “Yes, [staff] would [ ask for permission], because they work with [my relative]—they do it together.”

The service had effective processes in place for identifying and responding to concerns about people’s mental capacity. When concerns were raised, the service checked whether a valid Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) was in place and identified the appropriate decision-maker in accordance with the MCA. Where a formal assessment was required, the service made referrals to healthcare professionals to complete a mental capacity assessment.