Background to this inspection
Updated
4 February 2015
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 is 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.
Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the information in the PIR and also looked at other information we held about the service before the inspection visit. At our last inspection of the service in November 2013 we did not identify any concerns with the care provided to people.
The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service we needed to be sure that someone would available in the office. It also allowed us to arrange to visit people receiving a service in their own homes.
During the inspection we met with four people receiving care at home and one relative. We spoke with a further four people and two relatives on the phone. We spent time at the main office of the service and met office staff. We also spoke with seven members of the care staff team. We viewed records relating to individual care and the running of the service. Records seen included four care plans, two staff personal files, records of staff training and quality monitoring records.
Updated
4 February 2015
This inspection was announced and took place on 17 and 18 December 2014.
Walter Manny Limited t/a Bluebird Care (Taunton) provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection they were providing a personal care service to 50 people. This included people receiving live in care and people receiving packages of care at the end of their life.
There is 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.
The registered manager had a clear vision for the agency which was to provide a service which was influenced by the needs and wishes of the people who used it. There was a commitment to providing high quality care which was tailored to people’s individual wishes. Their vision and values were communicated to staff through staff meetings, supervisions and a regular newsletter. People’s views were gathered by regular monitoring visits and phone calls and by satisfaction surveys.
There were systems in place to monitor the quality of care and plan on-going improvements. These included regular audits of records and spot checks on care provided in people’s homes. The agency looked for ways to develop the service using up to date research and piloting new ways of working.
Staff had a good knowledge of the needs and preferences of the people which enabled them to provide personalised care. One person told us “I don’t have to tell them what to do. They know me well and know what I like.” Staff provided information to people using the service and to their carers to enable them to meet the needs of the whole person not just to meet their physical needs.
People told us they felt safe with all the staff who supported them. There were clear risk assessments which meant care was provided in a way that minimised risks. One person said “I feel utterly safe with all of the staff.” Another person told us “I know I’m safe with everyone who comes to my house.” Staff were aware of how to recognise and report any suspicions of abuse and all were confident that any concerns would be fully investigated.
People received care and support in line with their needs and wishes because adequate numbers of staff were employed. There were contingency plans in place if staff were unable to carry out their visits. Staff were well trained and competent in their roles. One person told us “They are very competent and definitely know how to do their job.” A relative said “They are very professional. Always smart and very efficient.”
More than one person told us they would like to have more regular staff visiting them to assist with their personal care. When we raised this with the registered manager they immediately began to look at ways that this could be achieved for people.
People knew how to make a complaint and people said they would be comfortable to do so. One person told us “They always check if you are happy with everything. I would definitely complain if I wasn’t.” A relative said “They ring me monthly. I can say what I feel and they have definitely sorted out any concerns I’ve had.”
Care plans were personalised to each individual and contained information to assist staff to provide care in a manner that respected their wishes. One relative told us how they had devised the care plan with staff from the agency. They told us “The care plan is a real step by step guide for each call. It means they get exactly what is right for them.”