Archived: Bluebird Care Scarborough and Bridlington

Updated 28 June 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We visited the location's office on 25 May 2022.

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 Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. 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 the registered manger, the head of operations, and the wellbeing & engagement officer. We reviewed three care plans, medication records and three staff files. We spoke with two people receiving a service and five people's relatives. We reviewed records associated

with the management of the service, which included policies, procedures, audits, and checks. We looked at staff recruitment details, training, supervisions, appraisals and checks to determine staff were competent in their roles.

After the inspection

We spoke with four care staff.

Updated 28 June 2022

About the service

Bluebird Care (Scarborough and Bridlington) is a domiciliary care agency which is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide regulated activities of personal care to people living with dementia, sensory impairment, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health and physical disability in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, regulated activity was provided to 24 people.

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 told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff were clear on types of abuse to look out for and how to raise their concerns when required. Processes ensured any incidents were routinely investigated with outcomes and actions implemented to help keep people safe.

Risks associated with people's care were assessed to help staff provide safe care and staff also had access to information to keep them safe when entering people’s homes. Staff had good access to personal protective equipment to manage the risks associated with the spread of infection including COVID-19 and adhered to government guidance to protect people.

Where people required support to take their medicines, this was done safely as prescribed with appropriate record keeping checked for accuracy.

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.

Staff received appropriate induction, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal as necessary to enable and support them to carry out the duties they were employed to perform.

Management completed a range of audits and checks to maintain standards of service. Provider oversight supported the sharing of best practice for the benefit of individuals who were supported.

The service was not providing care to anyone with a learning disability. However, we expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support: Model of care and setting maximised people's choice, control and independence;

People told us they knew when to expect visits and that visits respected their preferred times. People spoke positively about the service they received and the way the service was managed. The new manager was passionate about providing people with a personalised service to help them remain living as independent as possible in their own homes. People told us that staff supported them when their care needs changed to ensure they were able to retain their independence.

Right care: Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights;

People told us staff were respectful, caring and understanding around people's

emotional and physical needs. People were involved in planning their care and support. Care was delivered following a robust assessment of needs to ensure people’s wishes preferences and any personal characteristics were recorded and supported.

Right culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives; The culture of the service was open and empowered individuals to express their views and be in control of their lives with the support of staff. People told us they felt confident to approach the management team and that their suggestions would be 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 and update

The last rating for the service under the previous provider at the previous premises was good, published on 12 March 2018. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Bluebird Care Scarborough and Bridlington on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.