Archived: Bluebird Care (Kirklees)

Updated 23 September 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector who visited Bluebird Care offices on 15 July 2016. Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service. This included routine notifications, comments sent to us by people using the service, safeguarding information, the previous inspection report and the provider’s action plan which set out how the provider planned to improve the quality of care people received.

We spoke with four people who used the service, two of their relatives, three staff members as well as the registered manager and provider.

We looked at five people’s care files and three staff files which included their recruitment and training records. We looked at the service’s policies and procedures. We looked at audits for the last twelve months including medication and spot checks.

Updated 23 September 2016

We inspected Bluebird Care on 15 July 2016. The inspection was announced 48 hours in advance because we needed to ensure the provider or registered manager was available. Bluebird Care is a service which is registered to provide personal care to adults in their own home. At the time of our inspection there were 45 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

During this inspection people told us they were safe. Staff had been trained in protecting adults from abuse and spoke confidently about how to identify abuse or report any concerns.

Care was planned and delivered to ensure people were protected against foreseeable harm. People had risk assessments which gave staff detailed information on how to manage the risks identified.

Staff arrived on time and stayed for the time allocated.

People were cared for by a sufficient number of suitable staff to help keep them safe and meet their needs.

Staff were recruited using a safe and effective procedure which was consistently applied.

People received their medicines safely and in accordance with their care plan.

Staff controlled the risk and spread of infection by following the service’s infection control policy.

Care plans provided information to staff about how to meet people’s individual needs. People were supported by staff that had the skills and experience to deliver their care effectively. Staff understood the relevant requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applied to people in their care.

Staff supported people to meet their nutritional and hydration needs. Staff worked with a variety of healthcare professionals to support people to maintain good health.

People told us the staff were kind and caring. People were treated with respect and were involved in making decisions about their care. Where appropriate their relatives were also involved.

People were satisfied with the quality of care they received and told us there was continuity of care. People were supported to express their views and give feedback on the care they received.

The provider listened to and learned from people’s experiences to improve the service.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.

People felt able to contact the service’s office to discuss their care.

Staff felt supported by the manager and were in regular contact with the supervisors and manager.

There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received.