We carried out a review of the data available to us about Bluebird Care South Somerset on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Bluebird Care South Somerset, you can give feedback on this service.
Bluebird Care South Somerset is registered to provide personal care services and a range of support services to people living in their own home. The geographical area covered includes Yeovil, Wincanton, Somerton, Ilminster, Crewkerne and Chard. At the time of this inspection the service was supporting 94 people of which 74 were in receipt of varying amounts of personal care support. 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. The level of support ranged from a couple of hours per week up to 24 hours, Live-In Care. The provider has two other Bluebird Care branches in West Dorset and Purbeck.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People continued to receive a service that was safe. The staff team received the relevant training to ensure they safeguarded people from harm and managed any risks to their health and welfare. This ensured any risks were mitigated. Care plans included details about how moving and handling tasks had to be completed and the level of support the person needed with their medicines (if appropriate). The service had enough staff to meet the care needs of each person they supported and did not take on new packages of care unless they had the resources. Pre-recruitment checks were carried out to ensure new staff were suitable to support vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed, and people received their medicines as prescribed.
The service was effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received the training they needed to meet people’s care and support needs and were regularly supervised. They worked in small geographical areas and were overseen by a supervisor. The supervisors maintained regular contact with people and ensured they continued to receive the service they needed. The staff ensured people had access to the healthcare support they needed and had introduced an initiative called Health Assist – an assessment where vital signs were recorded when well, so that signs of illness were identified quicker. Examples of health care services Bluebird Care worked in partnership with included the GPs, district nurses, speech and language therapists (SALT) and other allied healthcare professionals. The service had been pro-active in researching alternative services because of the withdrawal of a pharmacy service and this would have impacted greatly on people’s care. People were supported with eating and drinking where this was identified as a need in their care plan.
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. The service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005).
The service continues to be caring and each person received person-centred care based upon their own specific needs. People were overwhelmingly positive about the service they received from Bluebird Care South Somerset. They were treated with respect and dignity. The service had introduced a new initiative since the last inspection – Bluebird Treat. The service aimed to deliver one treat per month – this could be a range of things for example a special trip somewhere, a meal out or a social event. All staff we spoke with demonstrated great kindness and spoke respectfully about the people they supported. They told us they were proud to work for Bluebird Care.
The service continues to be responsive to people’s health and social needs. People received person centred care and support. Their care plans were regularly reviewed, and care delivery was adjusted to take account of changes in care needs and health status. Referrals were made to health and social care professionals and other agencies as appropriate. When people were at the end of their life the service provided well trained compassionate care staff to look after people them and to support family. The service would work in partnership with family and healthcare professionals to achieve this.
Care planning systems were innovative and used the PASS System. Via the use of technology, the care plans could be updated and amended in ‘real time’ and the information relayed to the staff team immediately. This meant the staff team always were supplied with the correct information and could deliver the right care.
The service had responded to feedback from people regarding additional services that would make their lives better. A toe nail cutting service and a home hairdressing service had been implemented. The service had looked at ways they could address loneliness in rural communities, had organised Christmas lunch for 30 in a local pub and supported other services with Community Grants. People and their families were encouraged to make their views known about all aspects of the service and were listened to, the service making changes where appropriate.
The service continues to be well led. There had been a change in registered manager since the last inspection, They, the provider and the senior staff team provided good leadership for the staff team. There was a clear focus on continually seeking to improve the service people received.
The service used a range of methods to ensure the quality and safety of the service was maintained to a high standard. Where shortfalls were identified they were acted upon. The service had been recognised as an outstanding domiciliary care provider in a recent ceremony where they had picked up a bronze award.
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 Outstanding (published May 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 South Somerset provides personal care and a range of support services to people living in their own homes around Wincanton, Yeovil, Somerton and Chard. At the time of the inspection there were approximately 150 people being supported by 70 staff. This was the care provider’s first inspection since they re-registered at their new address. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.
During our inspection the registered manager and the registered provider were present. 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 service demonstrated a very strong and visible person centred culture and they were committed to providing a service which put people at the heart of everything they did. This was reflected within the management systems and running of the service, and people, relatives and staff all highly recommended the service. There were many examples of where staff had gone above and beyond, providing an outstanding service, treating people as individuals and taking pride in their work, recognising the ‘little things’ that made people feel valued in the community.
The service used innovative ways to manage people's risk and keep people safe, whilst ensuring they had a full and meaningful life. For example, enabling one couple living with dementia to enjoy an independent lunch in the community, whilst ensuring good communication with the venue and family. This showed the service balanced real risk and promoted independence and choice. People felt safe, had trust in the staff who visited them, building strong, caring relationships that mattered to people who knew who to contact if they were worried about their safety. One person said, “They make sure I have my call pendant on before they leave as I have fallen in the past, so they added this task to my care to ensure I am ok.” Another person said, “I do feel very safe with them. I had a problem with my tablets and they just sorted it out.” Relatives also commented on the relief they felt at being able to trust the service. One person said, “My daughter can look on the electronic care system from work and see what is recorded so she will know if I’m not feeling well.” A relative said, “I’m confident they know what they are doing. I’m very pleased with them, I can’t think of anything they could do better.”
Staff were able to recognise different forms of abuse, understood the provider's safeguarding and whistle blowing procedures and knew who to contact if they had any concerns, which was reflected in safeguarding records.
The registered manager and provider were very visible and accessible to all staff and people using the service who knew who they were. One person wrote in a thank you card, “I really do need to see them everyday, thank you so much. You [the provider] must be very good and kind to have such wonderful staff.” The registered manager and provider provided outstanding leadership and were committed, innovative, knowledgeable and organised. They provided clear and confident guidance and demonstrated strong values in all aspects of their role, that was embedded within the staff team. Their vision and values were communicated to staff through staff meetings, supervisions and a regular newsletter. People's views were gathered by regular monitoring visits and phone calls and by satisfaction surveys.
Staff consistently told us they felt extremely well supported and valued and they were very happy at work. The culture at the service was open, transparent and welcoming, encouraging care workers to share ideas that benefitted people. The provider said, “You need to value staff and help them believe they are good at what they do. We try to match people and staff personalities at the beginning and start out with the mind set of doing our best.” The provider and management team instilled pride in care workers becoming a ‘Bluebird’ [care worker] and that passing the robust recruitment process was special. One care worker told us, “Bluebird are really, really good. They provide amazing support and the managers and director go above and beyond and get involved. You can talk to anyone and they were very understanding of my personal issues too.” Another care worker said, “It’s not a company that seeks profits. We are about providing high quality care at home and enabling people to stay at home for as long as possible.” The registered provider was passionate about their work and told us they felt proud to be part of the team, seeing the service as a community company and a community asset.
There was a real sense of the service sitting within the community it served. The service continually reached out to relevant organisations in the community and sign posted people in their care to ensure they lived the best quality life they could at home. For example, accessing shopmobility (help to travel into the town) and craft groups. The provider was keen to raise awareness in the community of issues that affected local people receiving care. A monthly community grant, for example, was awarded to local organisations addressing loneliness or supporting elderly people. They also provided ‘Dementia Friends’ information sessions, (training 387 dementia friends so far), which raised awareness of dementia for relatives alleviating their anxiety, local organisations and schools to further enable people to be supported in the community. Dementia Friends is a national campaign to encourage people to learn a little more about what it is like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action. Staff also involved people and their family networks in their care, training relatives who wished to assist and feel useful delivering care safely, and writing care records that were meaningful for people and relatives to access electronically at any time. They also sponsored community engagement events that brought organisations together to promote awareness and easy access to services available. For example, people receiving a service and staff were invited to enjoy teas and cake and a choir performance.
The service actively built links with the local community that enhanced people's sense of wellbeing, value and quality of life. Staff not only looked at people’s care needs as tasks but at people’s place as a whole within the community, showing outstanding care. For example, relatives told us how care workers and supervisors rang them if they were visiting a person in hospital to see if they would like a lift due to their rural settings or minimal family support. Where people had particular interests they could no longer enjoy, staff thought ‘outside the box’ to bring activities to people. For example, one person had enjoyed a visit from their favourite birds of prey, organised by staff with a local bird sanctuary. Staff recognised where people in the same street could no longer visit each other easily and posted letters between them. Staff brought people items they could not access such as fresh pancakes to the person’s home on pancake day. The service ensured each person received a birthday card written by hand. The provider said it was not unusual for them to see no other cards on the mantelpiece in some people’s homes and that the ‘little things’ were so important. They had also recognised where a person was suffering with a mental health condition and had personally visited them for support and assistance with accessing further help.
There were sufficient, competent and knowledgeable staff at the service to provide care and support to people. The service used an electronic system to show which staff were available and only took on new packages when they could be sure of good quality, consistent care for people. For example, a link with the county ‘end of life hub’, enabled the service to quickly accept new packages for people at the end of their lives. Good communication and organisation enabled people receiving end of life care to return home from hospital to their preferred place as quickly and safely as possible. The service also worked closely with competitors which further helped people find appropriate care packages.
Appropriate recruitment checks were undertaken before staff started work, followed by clear induction and supervision programmes to ensure new staff were confident and competent in their role. Training programmes were on-going and up to date. Care staff worked in small local teams managed and supported by a supervisor which meant less travel, high staff retention and continuity of care. The provider said they hoped to encourage staff to be the best they could be, even if they moved on in the future, as it was a good investment to ensure a well trained staff team. One member of the Bluebird team had been nominated in the outstanding ancillary worker category for the Care Focus (South West) Care Awards 2017. These are nationally recognised annual awards open to all care providers to recognise excellence in care.
Health professionals spoke highly of the service saying they knew care would be good and telling us how pro-active the service was in accessing additional training depending on people’s needs, such as stoma care. The community end of life team commented on how helpful staff were in the office. They said how attentive staff were, noting when people’s health was deteriorating and required further care, or