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Bluebird Care (Stevenage & North Herts)

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Ground Floor, 2 Walsworth Road, Hitchin, SG4 9SP (01462) 676555

Provided and run by:
Ajit Ltd

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

Latest inspection summary

On this page

Background to this inspection

Updated 3 October 2023

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 7 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 17 members of staff including the registered manager and support workers. We spoke with 1 professional. We reviewed a range of records. This included 5 people's care records and medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 3 October 2023

About the service

Bluebird Care (Stevenage & North Herts) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 43 people at the time of the inspection.

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

People were kept safe from avoidable harm because staff knew them well and understood how to protect them from abuse. The registered manager and staff worked well with other agencies to do so.

Risk assessments detailed how to manage identified risks, whilst providing the least restrictive level of support.

People received medicines when they needed them by skilled staff.

People received support from staff who were trained and had supported them for a long period of time so were aware of people's needs. Staff received specific training relating to people's health and well-being.

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.

People said they felt listened to and respected. People and relatives said staff were kind and caring. Staff showed commitment when speaking about people they supported.

People were happy with the support that was provided to them and that it met their needs.

The provider was able to provide documents in an accessible format for people if they required it.

The registered manager had a good understanding of people they supported and had a passion for wanting to deliver person-centred care. The registered manager had quality assurance systems in place and these systems were reliable and effective in identifying what improvements were needed.

People and staff were involved in shaping the service being provided and felt listened to.

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 6 December 2017)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.