Archived: Bluebird Care (Tamworth & Lichfield)

Updated 19 June 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 checked 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.

The inspection visit took place, on 21 May 2018. It was a comprehensive inspection and was announced. This was to ensure the registered manager and staff were available to talk with us when we visited. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Due to the short timescale between scheduling and conducting our inspection visit following the change in the service’s registration, the new provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The provider was able to tell us the information we would have asked in their PIR, at our inspection visit.

Prior to our visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from the public and from local authority and NHS commissioners. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services, which are paid for by the local authority or by the NHS. The commissioners had no serious concerns.

During our visit we spoke with the registered manager, the care manager, the care coordinator, the care supervisor and three care workers. Following our inspection visit we spoke with four people who used the service and four people’s representatives, including relatives, to ask for their views of the service.

We reviewed six people's care plans to see how their care and treatment was planned and delivered. We checked whether staff were recruited safely, and trained to deliver care and support appropriate to each person's needs. We reviewed records of the provider’s quality monitoring system to see what actions were taken and planned to improve the quality of the service.

Updated 19 June 2018

The inspection took place on 21 May 2018 and was announced.

Bluebird Care (Tamworth & Lichfield) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to adults with different needs, including dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. There were 27 people using the service at the time of our inspection visit.

When we inspected this service previously in September 2017, it was known as Bluebird Care Hurley Office. Following that inspection, the service was taken over by a new provider and a new management team, who supported the people who continued to use the service.

This was the first inspection of the service since its registration changed with us in May 2018 and it was renamed as Bluebird Care (Tamworth & Lichfield).

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.

People were protected from the risks of abuse because staff received training in safeguarding people and understood their responsibility to report any concerns to senior staff. Risks to people's health and wellbeing were managed.

The registered manager made sure there were enough suitably skilled, qualified and experienced staff to support people safely and effectively. The registered manager checked staff were suitable for their role before they started working for the service.

Staff worked within the principles of the MCA and supported people to have maximum choice and control of their lives. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet that met their needs and preferences. People were supported to maintain their health.

People and staff felt well cared for. Staff understood people’s needs and interests and supported them to enjoy their lives according to their preferences. Staff respected people’s right to privacy and supported people to maintain their independence.

The registered manager demonstrated they valued care staff and promoted their learning and development. Staff enjoyed their work and were motivated to provide people with a good standard of care.

People were involved in planning how they were cared for and supported. Care was planned to meet people’s individual needs and preferences and care plans were regularly reviewed. People knew how to complain and had the opportunity to share their views and opinions about the service they received.

The registered manager was committed to ensuring people received good quality care. Significant improvements had been made to the quality of the care they delivered. They worked in partnership with other organisations to make sure they followed current best practice. Systems ensured good standards of care were consistently maintained for people.