This inspection took place on 16 and 17 March 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a home care service and we wanted to make sure someone would be available to speak with us. The agency was registered with Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 17 December 2010. The last inspection took place on 29 January 2013 and the provider was compliant with the regulations we checked.
Mortimer & Co Limited t/a Bluebird Care (Ealing) is a care agency that provides personal care and support to people living with dementia, learning disabilities and are on the autistic spectrum disorder, as well as older people, people with an eating disorders, physical disabilities or sensory impairments.
On the day of our inspection, the agency provided support for 64 people out of which 37 were receiving personal care.
There was a registered manager in post, who had been managing the service since 3 November 2015. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.
The registered manager was supported by a director who was the owner of the company and an operations manager as well as a care coordinator and a support supervisor. At the time of our visit, the agency employed 40 care workers.
The agency had effective safeguarding procedures and people using the service were protected from harm and abuse. The agency assessed risks to people’s health and safety. Care workers had access to risk management plans that gave them guidance on how to mitigate/manage these risks.
The agency managed people’s medicines in a safe way and ensured any changes to people’s medicine were promptly noted and addressed. The registered manager regularly audited medicine administration by care workers.
The agency had a rota system to ensure all care workers knew who they were assigned to visit that week and that all care worker’s planned absences were covered. People said they received regular support from the same care workers and the agency informed them if a different care worker was to attend instead.
The service had robust recruitment procedures to ensure only suitable care workers were appointed to work with people who used the service.
Care workers had sufficient skills and knowledge to provide effective support for people they cared for. Newly appointed workers received induction training before they started working unsupervised. All care workers were required to repeat training that the agency considered mandatory on a yearly basis.
Care workers received effective support in the form of regular one to one meetings, yearly appraisals, observations of their work and by attending team meetings.
The agency work within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Where people did not have mental capacity to make decisions, the agency encouraged them to express their wishes about their care and enquired if those who were making decisions on their behalf had the legal right to do so.
People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. The agency carried out initial assessments of people’s care needs, health and wellbeing and personal likes and dislikes. The agency then used this information to, together with people and their relatives, formulate individual support plans for people who used the service.
People told us that care workers treated them with dignity and respect while providing personal care.
The agency had a complaints procedure and people and their relatives knew how to raise any concerns about the care they received. The agency dealt with complaints promptly and to the satisfaction of people and their relatives.
People using the service and their relatives described the service as well organised and efficient and the management team as approachable and caring.
The agency introduced a care worker of the month award. Therefore, care workers knew that the management team appreciated and noticed their hard work.
The agency had robust quality assurance and audit systems to ensure effective reporting, monitoring, analysis and review of all aspects of the service provision.
The agency had a folder of policies and procedures that were regularly updated and care workers had access to this.