Archived: Bluebird Care (Hounslow & Chiswick)

Bluebird Care (Hounslow and Chiswick) provides domiciliary care services for adults with a wide range of needs. The service offers support to people who require help with day to day routines, including personal care, meal preparation, shopping, housework and supporting people out into the community. At the time of inspection there were 33 people receiving support of which 30 people were supported with personal care. 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. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Care workers administered people’s medicines in a safe way and as prescribed. People told us they felt safe when receiving care. The provider had processes in place for the recording and investigation of incidents and accidents.

There were processes in place to investigate any concerns regarding the care provided and any complaints that were received. Risk management plans were in place providing care workers with guidance on how to minimise risks for people using the service.

There were robust recruitment processes and there were enough care workers sent to each visit to provide support based upon the care needs of people. Care workers received the training and supervision they required to provide them with the knowledge and skills to provide care in a safe and effective way.

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.

Detailed assessments of a person’s support needs were completed before care visits started. Care plans described the care and support a person required and how they wanted it to be provided.

People using the service were supported to access the community to reduce the risk of social isolation.

The provider had a complaints process in place and people told us they knew what to do if they wished to raise any concerns.

There was a range of quality assurance processes in place to identify if any actions were required to improve the service. People using the service and staff felt the service was well-led.

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 19 July 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.

Bluebird Care (Hounslow) provides domiciliary care services for adults with a wide range of needs. The service offers support to people who require help with day to day routines, including personal care, meal preparation, shopping, housework and supporting people out into the community. At the time of inspection there were 26 people receiving personal care.

The service is required to have 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. The registered manager had been in post since October 2016.

Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff reported any concerns. One issue in relation to needing to notify the local authority of a safeguarding scenario was discussed with the registered manager during the inspection. They took appropriate action to address the concern at the time of the inspection.

Risks were identified and assessed and action plans put in place to minimise them.

Recruitment procedures were in place and being followed to ensure only suitable staff were employed. There were enough staff employed to meet people’s needs.

People received the care and support they needed to manage their medicines.

Infection control was being managed by the service.

Staff received training and supervision to provide them with the skills and knowledge to care for people effectively.

Staff respected people’s rights to make choices about the care and support they received. Staff knew to report any deterioration in people’s capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Staff supported people with preparing meals if they required it and listened to people’s wishes.

Procedures were in place to ensure people received any assistance they required to gain healthcare input.

People were happy with the care and support they received and staff were kind and treated people with dignity and respect. Staff took the time people needed to meet their care and support needs.

People were assessed and were involved with their care records so their wishes were identified and included. Staff read the care records so they knew and understood the care each person needed.

Procedures for raising complaints were in place and people felt able to raise any concerns so they could be addressed.

People were happy with the service they received, were being listened to and had their needs met. People and staff all said they were happy to recommend the service to others.

Care assistants felt well supported by the registered manager and office staff and felt able to contact them to discuss any matters.

Systems for monitoring the service were in place and being followed. The registered manager was receptive and acted promptly to improve monitoring processes for incidents and accidents.

People using the service were involved in discussions about the care and support they required and had opportunities to modify the service they received at regular reviews and at other times as required. People were treated with dignity and respect.

Care plans were person centred to reflect individual needs and preferences and records were updated to reflect changes in the care package.

The provider had procedures to ensure continuity of care and the safety and welfare of people using the service, and staff had the necessary training and contacts to manage risks and emergencies.

The provider had suitable and up to date policies and procedures in place to safeguard people using the service from harm or abuse and staff had received appropriate training in this regard.

Staff had appropriate training and support and had regular supervision and appraisals.

The provider had a variety of systems to monitor the quality of service provided and feedback from people using the service indicated a very high level of satisfaction with the care they received. People were contacted regularly to obtain feedback on their care.

One person using the service told us, "They've been lovely with me ' I'm very lucky. They really are caring", while another said, "I couldn't ask for anything more - they're first class.'