Archived: Blue Ribbon Berkshire

Although our inspection was a scheduled inspection, we brought the date of the inspection forward as we had received information of concern regarding the care and welfare of people. At the time of our inspection, ten people received personal care from Blue Ribbon Berkshire.

As part of this inspection, we visited the office of the provider on the first day of our inspection. On the second day of our inspection, an Expert by Experience from Age UK conducted telephone interviews and spoke with people who use the service, some of their relatives and others about their experiences of the care. We spoke with eight people who use the service, three relatives, an advocate, the nominated individual and three care workers. The registered manager was absent on the day of the office visit. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service which included audits and managerial reports, four people's care documentation and ten personnel files.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service, their relatives and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at.

Is the service safe?

People said they felt safe and were complimentary about the care they received, although we found they were at risk of receiving unsafe care. This was because risk assessments and care plans were task focussed and not individualised. Regular reviews of people's care had not occurred and staff supervision was not undertaken to ensure care was properly carried out. In addition, staff did not have a satisfactory understanding of how to identify or prevent abuse. Records of care were available but had not always been completed or correctly filled in.

Is the service effective?

People told us that they were happy with the care they received and felt their needs had been met. It was clear from speaking with staff that they understood people's care and support needs and that they knew them well. However, risk assessments and care plans needed further work to ensure that people's support was properly assessed and delivered.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. There were occasions where the person and the care worker did not get along, however supervisors or management had remedied this to ensure people were satisfied with their workers.

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before they received care. Risk assessments and care plans were completed but lacked detail. Some individual risks had not been determined correctly and were not documented for care workers to note.

Is the service well-led?

Care workers were clear about their roles and responsibilities. However the registered manager and provider did not have effective oversight of the quality of care and the safety of people. There was a lack of a robust quality assurance system in place which identified, assessed and managed risks to people, staff and others. Staff training, supervision and support required improvement to ensure people were not placed at risk of poor care outcomes.

Care was planned with the involvement of the people who use the service and their relatives, and reflected their individual needs.

There were sufficient numbers of appropriate staff to ensure that the health and welfare needs of people using the service were met. Care worker rosters showed there were enough staff to meet people's needs.

There were systems for monitoring the quality and safety of services provided to people. These included recording and investigating complaints, collecting feedback from people using the service, their relatives and staff. There were spot checks by management in place to monitor the quality and safety of services provided to people in their own homes.

There were processes in place for recording, investigating and resolving complaints from people who use the service and their relatives. The people we spoke with were aware of who they would speak to if they had any complaints.

Staff records and other records relevant to the management of the service were accurate and fit for purpose. People's care documentation was stored securely and accessible only by care workers and management.