Archived: Bluebird Care (Lambeth)

The service has a registered manager. 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.

Staff assessed people’s needs and identified any related risks to their health and safety. The registered manager developed support plans for staff to manage the risks safely.

People received the support they required in line with the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The service ensured people who lacked decision making capacity received the support they required to understand and make decisions relating to their care. Staff asked and received people’s consent before they provided their care.

Staff told us they were supported by the registered manager who they also said was approachable and friendly. Staff received training to develop their knowledge and skills to effectively meet people’s needs. The registered manager ensured staff received regular supervisions and appraisals on their practice and performance and agreed on learning and development plans. Staff used feedback to improve their practice and took up training to address any gaps in their knowledge.

Staff were polite to people and treated them with respect. People and their relatives were involved in planning and making decisions about their care and support. People received care and support which took into account their choices and preferences. Staff supported people to pursue their hobbies and interests.

People received the support they required to access healthcare services. Staff supported people to eat and drink as required and followed professional guidance regarding their nutritional needs were appropriate. People told us they were happy with the support they received with their eating and drinking.

The registered manager sought people’s and their relative’s views about the service through surveys and meetings and used their feedback to improve and develop the service. People and their relatives had positive feedback on the service and were happy on how support and care was provided. People and their relatives said the registered manager valued their contributions and listened to them.

The registered manager resolved people’s complaints to their satisfaction. Complaints were investigated and resolved in a timely manner and in line with the provider’s complaints procedure.

The registered manager reviewed the quality of the service they provided to people and took action to address any areas that required improvement. The registered manager audited care plans and risk assessments to ensure staff provided a high standard of care to people. The registered manager conducted checks on staff competency to administer people’s medicines and practice and ensured staff attended relevant training and received appropriate guidance when necessary.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people who used the service and the staff told us and the records we looked at.

Is the service safe?

The staff employed were suitably trained and experienced. All staff were trained in first aid and had attended safeguarding vulnerable adults training in the past year. There was a policy in place to deal with adverse incidents such as adverse weather.

Is the service effective?

There were up to date care plans in place for each person, which enabled staff to provide safe and effective care. Care plans included details of health professionals involved in the delivery of each person's care but they had not been evaluated. Verbal consent was obtained from people who used the service before care and support was delivered.

Is the service caring?

People who used the service were involved in decisions about their care and support. Staff supported people and advised them, but allowed the person who used the service to make the final decision. A member of staff told us, "We always ask [people who used the service] what they want and give them freedom to choose." They went on to say that they never forced people to do anything.

Is the service responsive?

People's individual needs had been assessed by suitably experienced staff. The staff we spoke with were aware of the needs of people who used the service. The relatives we spoke with told us they were aware of how to make a complaint and a system was in place to investigate any complaints that arose.

Is the service well-led?

There were processes in place to monitor and improve the quality of service delivery. Staff were able to raise concerns at staff meetings held every three months. We looked at the results of the staff and customer questionnaire which was completed in the past month and found the feedback was mostly positive.

We found people using the service or their representatives were involved in decisions about their care and were treated with dignity and respect.

The agency took action to address and responded promptly to any changes to individual needs. For example following discharge from hospital people received a home visit from the agency supervisor to review their needs and to update risk management and care arrangements as appropriate.

Communication between people using the service and agency staff was found to be effective, daily records were completed by staff, this helped to ensure any changes that arose were responded to promptly. We were told staff kept relatives and friends informed if there were any changes to individual's health or wellbeing.

People were protected from the risk of abuse, and the provider had robust systems in place to monitor the quality of the service people received. Regular monitoring visits and spot checks were made to people's homes to observe practice and to check if people received the service to the standard required.

A person said: "Carers are kind and thoughtful, nothing is too much trouble for them". Another person described the service as consistent and reliable, they said "When you get to my age in life you need a services that meets and adapts to your need, carers that come to my home are so obliging and always ask if there is anything else they can do".

A relative spoken with described their confidence in the service, "It is a reliable agency and carers turn up when they are due, they are trained and competent, we are kept informed if any concerns arise, we feel reassured by their efficiency".