- Homecare service
Bluebird Care Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey
Report from 13 March 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 18 March to 9 April 2025. This assessment was prompted by a review of the information we held about the service. The service is a care at home service providing support to adults of all ages living in their own homes. CQC only inspects where people are receiving the regulated activity personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. At the time of the assessment 67 people were receiving the regulated activity from the service. We assessed 5 quality statements from the safe, responsive and well led key questions. We have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection to give the rating for this assessment.
The provider demonstrated robust governance systems, ensuring incidents were effectively recorded, reported, and investigated. Staff understood reporting procedures, and lessons learned from incidents and complaints were used to drive improvements. Staff felt comfortable raising safety concerns and typically received feedback on their reports.
Risk management was thorough, with systems in place to ensure safe support, especially in remote working and domiciliary settings. Monitoring of care visits, out-of-hours cover, business continuity plans, and a non-entry policy helped mitigate risks. Training tailored to people’s needs further supported risk reduction.
Staffing levels met people’s needs, offering continuity through regular staff and training for new carers under supervision. Some people had raised concerns about their care call times and changes. However, the provider had listened to their feedback and made improvements to address people’s concerns. Electronic rota management helped allocate appropriately skilled staff to maintain consistency and good quality care.
Staff benefited from comprehensive training, supervision, and ongoing support, with positive feedback from staff on the quality of training . Recruitment adhered to regulatory standards.
End-of-life care was handled with sensitivity, engaging families, professionals, and stakeholders to ensure effective planning was in placed to meet people’s needs and preferences. Policies guided care delivery, and staff expressed confidence in end-of-life care due to appropriate training.
The provider maintained strong governance and oversight of quality and safety. Management staff oversaw quality improvement, encouraging staff feedback through surveys and supervision. Regular audits and action plans addressed identified issues, while people’s feedback gathered from various sources contributed to ongoing service improvements.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 21 people and relatives of people who used the service via telephone calls, to gain feedback about their experiences of receiving care from the provider.
People told us they felt safe receiving care from the provider. One person told us, “I have never felt unsafe with any of the carers but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate to speak to somebody in the office or to speak to my carer themselves.”
People and relatives we spoke with told us the provider had assessed the risks with them initially and when their needs changed, such as following a hospital admission. One relative said, “It could have been quite complicated and difficult but [The provider] were excellent and quick at both stopping the care and then re-establishing the care when [person] came out (of hospital) so there were no problems at all.” People and their relatives praised staff competence, particularly in hoisting and dealing with emergencies. One person told us, “They all seem trained to do what they need to do to support me and the way they used the hoist and the way they handle me is very professional which mitigates all sorts of risk.”
Some of the people and relatives we spoke with were not happy about the call times and changes to their rotas, with one relative telling us, “The only thing is that the times of the visit has always been slightly haphazard.” The provider had been working hard to improve this which was confirmed by other relatives telling us, “The timings of the visit have actually improved, and I think it's since [staff] has been organising the schedule” and, “There is also [staff] who I think is quite new and seems to be involved in the scheduling which has definitely improved.”
Most people did say they received regular, consistent staff which was helpful to them. One person told us, “It’s not the same carers every day but there is a small pool of regular people which helps me to feel safe and confident.”
People and their relatives told us the provider dealt with the subject very well when discussing end-of-life. One relative said, “[Staff] went through everything regarding DNR (do not resuscitate) when she made all the notes and about wishes. She was very sensitive about it but very professional.”
Overall people were happy with the carers and how they cared for them. One person said, “They make sure that I'm feeling comfortable, and they look after my dignity and keep me from being embarrassed.”