15 February 2017
During a routine inspection
Bluebird Care Haringey is a domiciliary care service run by A & J Kohli Limited. At the time of inspection the service was providing personal care to over 34 people with dementia and older people in their own homes.
The service had a registered manager 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.
People using the service and their relatives were happy with the service and found staff caring, kind and helpful. Community professionals spoke highly of the service’s effectiveness and responsiveness. The service delivered person-centred care that met people’s individual health and care needs.
The service followed appropriate procedures to safeguard people from harm. Staff had the understanding of protecting people against abuse and their role in promptly reporting poor care and abuse. Risk assessments were individualised and provided sufficient information and instructions to staff on the safe management of identified risks. People were happy with medicines support.
Staff were well-trained and demonstrated good understanding of people’s individual needs and preferences. They received regular supervision and support from the management. The service followed safe recruitment practices, carrying out appropriate recruitment checks before staff worked with people.
Staff asked people’s permission before providing care, gave them choices and provided appropriate support to people that lacked capacity to make decisions.
People’s nutrition and hydration needs were met. People were generally happy with staff punctuality. The service identified and addressed risks against occasional missed visits. There were detailed daily care delivery records giving a clear account of how people were supported.
Care plans were personalised and regularly reviewed; they recorded people’s individual needs, likes and dislikes. They included instructions for staff on how to support people to meet their needs and preferences. People were supported with social aspects of their life and with various activities.
The service had good systems and processes to evaluate the quality and safety of the care delivery. The management team regularly visited people’s homes to observe staff supporting people with their care needs, and addressed any concerns immediately. The service asked people and their relatives if they found care delivery effective via feedback survey forms and telephone calls. Any areas identified as needing improvement were addressed immediately. People and their relatives told us they were happy with the management and found them approachable and helpful.
The service worked with health and care professionals in improving emotional and physical wellbeing of people and their relatives. The service worked collaboratively with local charity organisations for various social causes for example to promote dementia friendly settings.