Bluebird Care Braintree and Uttlesford

Updated 15 December 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

This inspection was undertaken by 1 inspector.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 31 October 2023 and ended on 15 November 2023.

What we did before 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 received feedback from 4 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also had contact with 5 staff including care workers and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records including care plans, recruitment records and a variety of other records relating to the management and governance of the service.

Updated 15 December 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Bluebird Care Braintree and Uttlesford is a domiciliary care agency. The service was providing personal care for 19 people at the time of this inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support:

People received support from consistent care workers who knew them well and understood how they liked to be supported. People's needs were assessed, and care and support plans were developed with them, and their relatives where appropriate.

Care records were reviewed and updated regularly. People’s medicines were managed safely and staff were appropriately trained, supervised and recruited.

People and their relatives were comfortable that safe infection control measures were taken including care workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and following infection control procedures to reduce the risks of infection.

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.

Right Care:

People and their relatives, where appropriate, were involved in planning and reviewing their care and support needs. People and their relatives said care workers were kind and caring towards them. Care workers used a range of communication techniques to help ensure people could be involved in decisions about their life.

Right Culture:

The registered manager’s systems for the oversight of the service were well embedded. This helped to ensure people received consistent safe care and support. Staff were proud to work for Bluebird Care Braintree & Uttlesford and people and relatives said they would recommend the service to others.

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 25 November 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.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.