Background to this inspection
Updated
21 January 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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
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 that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 16 December 2021 and ended on 21 December 2021. We visited the office location on 16 December 2021.
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 information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send to us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service and four family members about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff and the registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four 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 reviewed.
Updated
21 January 2022
About the service
Bluebird Care (Warrington) provides care and support to people living in their own homes. 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. At the time of our inspection 13 people were receiving personal care.
People's experience of using the service and what we found
Systems were in place to prevent and control the spread of infection; particularly in response to COVID-19. However, some improvements were needed in relation to staff COVID-19 testing. The registered manager was open and transparent about the issues found and took immediate action to address this and implemented robust systems to ensure staff followed current testing guidance.
Staff received training in relation to infection prevent and control and received regular updates. People and family members told us staff wore the correct PPE during visits and staff told us they had access to enough supplies.
People told us they felt safe whilst being supported by staff and family members were confident their relatives were well looked after. Risks to people's health and well-being had been assessed and staff had access to information and guidance about how to manage these and keep people safe from harm. Staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to identify and respond to incidents of concern.
The registered manager followed safe recruitment and completed appropriate safety checks on new applicants to make sure they were suitable to work for the service. People told us, and family members confirmed, that care and support was provided by regular staff who arrived on time. Staff told us they were given enough time to complete all tasks required whilst still being able to chat with people and their family members.
People's care and support needs had been assessed and staff were provided with information and guidance about how to meet people's needs effectively. Staff received training relevant to their role and the needs of the people they supported. People and family members felt confident staff knew what they were doing and had the right skills and knowledge to carry out their role.
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 and family members spoke positively about the staff and the relationships that had been developed. Staff took time to get to know people and it was evident they knew them and their families well. People received care that was person-centred and based on their wishes and preferences; people and their family members were involved in the planning process. Care plans contained information about people's life histories and what was important to them to allow staff to get to know them before providing support.
The registered manager promoted a culture that person-centred; this was evidenced by the feedback received from people, family members and staff. People and family members were happy with the service they received, and staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager and office staff. Regular checks were completed on the safety and quality of the service in order to promote continuous improvements to people's care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection - This service was registered with us on 19 September 2019 and this is their first inspection.
Why we inspected
The inspection was carried in line with CQC inspection guidance for newly registered services.
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.