Bluebird Care (Rother & Hastings)

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

There was a proactive and positive culture of safety. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to identify and embed good practice. The registered manager had taken on board feedback provided following an assessment completed at another of the provider’s services. This had been utilised to identify areas of improvement which could be incorporated into the day to day running of the service. Improvements and lessons learned were shared with staff to ensure learning and improvement and to prevent things from reoccurring, this included extra training if required.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services. The manager and staff worked together to support people to access relevant healthcare and services. People were supported when leaving hospital or when their needs changed. A relative told us, “One time, [relatives name] was due to be discharged from hospital on a specific day and this kept changing. Bluebird had to juggle their rotas 3 times, but they managed this well to accommodate their needs.” Relevant information was made available and shared with health professionals when required, including GP and community nursing teams. Health professionals told us, “The carers or manager are good at letting us know when people need to be seen” and “The team call up as soon as any issues with the clients arise and take advice/direction very well.”

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place. The Registered Manager (RM) had taken learning form the recent assessment at another of the provider’s services and made improvements to their accident, incident and wound recording these changes were being implemented and we saw evidence of referrals being completed appropriately. We discussed the review of historic injuries and safeguarding referrals to identify if any learning could be taken from these. Staff received safeguarding training and demonstrated a good understanding around safeguarding and how and when to report concerns, telling us, “If I had a concern I would call the office, if unhappy I would contact the local authority” and “I would raise it with the supervisor and update the notes.”

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. People’s needs were assessed and reviewed to identify potential risk and to ensure adequate support was in place. Staff had access to relevant, up to date care documentation which included risk assessments for people’s identified needs and risk. For example, people who were at risk of bleeding or bruising as a side effect from specific medicines had information recorded for staff to ensure they were aware of this. When a risk was identified a task for staff to complete during a visit was added to the computer system to highlight this for staff. This included checking skin integrity, monitoring wounds and peoples emotional support needs. The registered manager told us risk assessments were reviewed regularly and updated when any changes occurred.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. People were receiving care in their own homes. Potential risks were identified before care visits commenced. This included safe access to the persons home, and any hazards/pets or environmental risks. Staff were trained and supported to use equipment safely whilst visiting people to provide care. A training area had been made at the Bluebird office, this was a mock-up of a person’s room at home, including a bed and various pieces of mobility equipment. This enabled staff to practice safe moving and use of equipment within a home environment safely navigating around furniture and ornaments, as well as learning to use key code boxes when entering a person’s home.

The service made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs. People felt they received good care provided by trained and competent staff. Feedback we received included, “We are very lucky as the staff are very good.” “I believe staff are well trained, they have reviews and appear to be very competent. There have been occasions where extra staff have attended my husband because they are shadowing.” There were safe recruitment processes in place, this included mandatory training. New staff received a full induction which included shadowing experienced staff. All staff received a regular program of supervision. Spot checks were also carried out and training competencies were completed to ensure staff were confident and competent to provide people with safe and effective care. Staff told us they felt supported and that training needs were met. Staff told us, “We have lots of training, in the office and E-learning. I have just done skin integrity, dementia and safeguarding. I did request more training on moving and handling and this has helped build my confidence.” “Training is refreshed every year, sometimes we go into the office and E-learning” and “I use a portal for my training, it is refreshed every 6 months or so. I can request further training. I requested end of life training as I did not feel confident, the office sorted this out for me straight away.”

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. Staff had access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and the service followed latest guidance appropriately to keep people safe and healthy. Staff told us they always had access to PPE and used this appropriately in people’s homes, for example, when providing personal care. “One of my clients had the flu, the office informed me I needed to wear extra PPE and take more care around them.”

The service made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened. People spoke positively about the support they received with their medicines and people felt supported to take their medicines safely. Medicines information was recorded on medicine administration records on the electronic care system. Staff completed this and documented when medicines were given, this included information regarding ‘as required’ (PRN) medicines. Medicines procedures were in place and staff received medicine training, with competencies/scenarios completed to ensure staff were appropriately trained. Health professional feedback included, “Staff are good at ensuring people have the medicines they need, in emergency situations when someone needs a new medicine urgently the carers collect the prescription from the surgery and take it to the pharmacy and then deliver it to the person, very good at things like that.” Staff demonstrated a good understanding around safe medicine administration and felt that documentation was in place to help them ensure they understood how to give medicines correctly. Staff told us, “The care plans are very in depth, we have a client with 5 medications that are split through the day. We ensure it is the correct time, and we log it. Most medication there is a break down on when it must be administered and side effects documented in care plans.”