Archived: Bluebird Care Alton & Bordon

Updated 18 July 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 3 and 4 May 2018. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because they provide a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure key people were available. The inspection was undertaken by one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has used, or cared for someone who has used this type of service in the past.

Prior to the inspection, we looked at the information we had received about the service since the last inspection in January 2016. This included notifications that had been submitted by the service. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to report to us. We also looked at the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR was information given to us by the provider. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, tells us what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with 15 people who used the service. We spoke with the registered provider, the registered care manager, two customer care managers, the care coordinator, the live in care coordinator and the culture and training manager. We also spoke with six care staff.

We looked at five people’s care files and other records relating to their care. We looked at five staff recruitment, training and supervision records, key policies and procedures, completed audits and other records related to the running of the service.

Updated 18 July 2018

This inspection took place on 3 and 4 May 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because they provide a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure key people were available. When the service was last inspected in January 2016 they received an Outstanding rating. This was because the service had good leadership and management in place, provided an exceptionally effective service and was very caring.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Bluebird Care UK is a national franchise. A franchise is when a franchisee (the provider) has bought the rights to sell a specific company’s products in a particular area using the company’s name. Throughout the report we have referred to Bluebird Care (Alton & Alresford) as Bluebird Care.

The registered provider, Belrose Limited, operates three registered locations: Winchester, Andover and Alton & Alresford. It is registered to provide personal care services to people in their own homes. At the time of this inspection Bluebird Care supported 105 people, however a personal care service was provided to 72 people. Of these, seven received live in care services.

Why have we rated this service as Outstanding?

People received an exceptionally safe service. The service had robust contingency plans in place to ensure when events occurred these did not impact upon service delivery. During the snowy weather in March 2018 the plans they put in place resulted in no care calls being missed. This was because of the total commitment of the care and management team. The systems in place for the management of medicines were exceptional. Records of administration were made electronically and care assistants could not log out of a care call until this had been completed. This meant those people who needed support with their medicines were able to take their tablets as prescribed. Any changes to people’s medicines could be updated immediately in the care records and acted upon. Staff completed safeguarding adults and moving and handling training to ensure they maintained people’s safety. Risk assessments were completed as part of the care planning process. Where risks were identified there were plans in place to reduce or eliminate the risk. Safe staff recruitment procedures were followed to ensure people were not looked after by unsuitable care and support workers. There were sufficient numbers of care assistants to meet people’s care and support needs safely.

The service was exceptionally effective. Before people received a service, a comprehensive assessment of their care and support needs was carried out. For people who had email access they were sent a video message where the customer care manager introduced themselves. The assessments were person centred and involved finding out about things that were important to the person. The staff team was well trained and the provider had a career pathway in place for all staff. Trainee care assistants completed the induction training and then had a three month probationary period during which they completed Care Certificate training. Ongoing training was arranged for all staff and included specialist training where people had specific care needs.

People were provided with assistance to eat and drink well where this had been identified as a care need. The care assistants and management team worked with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s health and wellbeing was maintained.

People were supported to be as independent as possible. Their mental capacity was assessed as part of the whole assessment process. People were involved in making decisions and encouraged to make their own choices about their care and support. The service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The service was exceptionally caring. People were provided with assistance from either one, two or three care assistants to ensure continuity of care. The care assistants knew the importance of developing good working relationships with the people they looked after and ensured they provided person centred care based on their specific needs. The staff ensured people were always treated with kindness and were listened to. The feedback we received from people being supported, their relatives and care assistants was overwhelmingly positive.

The service was exceptionally responsive. The care assistants were able to provide a particularly responsive service based on people’s needs but flexible enough to adapt to changes. The care planning and service delivery arrangements were reviewed regularly and any amendments made as required. People were provided with information about the service and details about how to raise any concerns they may have. The provider used any feedback about the service, both positive and negative, to make improvements. Feedback from people was gathered in care plan reviews and in regular surveys and their views and opinions were valued and acted upon. It was evident the service was fully focused on meeting people’s needs and they were completely satisfied.

Over the winter months the service had worked in partnership with the local GP surgeries and the NHS to provide a Bluebird Care JET (joint emergency team) rapid response service, to reduce hospital admissions and benefit the local community. A team of care assistants had been upskilled to conduct assessments to enable care and support to start within a few hours of the initial referral. This had prevented numerous admissions into hospital and people had been supported and cared for in their own homes.

The service was exceptionally well led. The office structure consisted of the registered manager, two customer care managers, a care coordinator and a support coordinator. Additional members of the management team included the owners and directors (providers), the operations director, the live in care service manager, the culture and training manager the accountant and recruitment assistant. The provider was actively involved in the service, visited on at least a weekly basis and maintained a good oversight of how things were going.

The provider had exceptional systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Feedback was obtained from people using the service, relatives and the staff team. Any improvements that would benefit the people being supported and the staff team were driven forward by the enthusiasm of the provider, the management team and the care assistants.

There was exceptional leadership and management in place with a strong focus on ensuring the service was well led and run to a high standard.