About the service:

Bluebird Care (Lewisham & Southwark) is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to older adults and younger disabled adults living in their own home. At the time of our inspection they were supporting 19 people.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

People’s experience of using this service:

We received universally positive feedback from people and their relatives. People spoke warmly of the staff and described positive outcomes as a result of the support being provided.

People using the service received safe care from well trained staff. Risk assessments and care plans had been completed in detail and were clear, straightforward to use and regularly updated.

People told us they felt very safe. Medicines were being managed well and staff followed good infection control practices.

People were supported to be independent and make choices. Staff supported people in the least restrictive ways possible and promoted their privacy and dignity. People had continuity of care from punctual staff who knew them well.

People had good relationships with their care workers and the management team. They told us that the office staff were approachable, responsive and could be relied upon.

There was a positive culture of person-centred, high quality care throughout the organisation. All of the records we saw had been completed in clear, meaningful detail and were up to date.

The provider communicated clearly with other services and health and social care professionals when required.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. The report was published on 25 August 2016.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit per our re-inspection guidelines. We may inspect sooner if any concerning information is received.

We carried out an inspection of Bluebird Care (Lewisham & Southwark) on 26 July 2016. This was an announced inspection where we gave the service 48 hours’ notice because we needed to ensure someone would be available to speak with us.

Bluebird Care (Lewisham & Southwark) is a domiciliary care service for people that receive extra care in their own home. At the time of our inspection there were nine people who received personal care and support from the agency.

The service had not been inspected before. This was the first inspection carried out by the Care Quality Commission.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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 abuse and avoidable harm. People and relatives told us they were happy with the support that people received from the service. Staff were aware of how to report alleged abuse and were able to describe the different types of abuse. Staff knew how to ‘whistleblow’. Whistleblowing is when someone who works for an employer raises a concern about a potential risk of harm to people who use the service.

Medicines were being managed safely as people received their medicine on time. Staff had been trained in managing medicines safely.

People and relatives told us they had no concerns with staffing levels and there had been no missed visits. Systems were in place to monitor staff punctuality and attendance.

Risk assessments for people that used the service were recorded and plans were in place to minimise risks.

People were supported by suitably qualified and experienced staff. Recruitment and selection procedures were in place and being followed. Checks had been undertaken to ensure staff were suitable for the role. Staff members were suitably trained to carry out their duties and knew their responsibilities to keep people safe and meet people’s needs.

Staff received regular one to one supervisions and had appraisals. Staff told us they were supported by management.

People were involved in planning their care and support and they received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. Care plans were signed by people to ensure they were happy with the care and support listed on the care plan. Care plans were regularly reviewed.

Questionnaires were completed by people about the service, which we saw were positive. Spot checks were being carried out to check on staff performance and the results were communicated to staff.

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and told us permission was always sought when providing support. People confirmed staff asked for consent. MCA training had been provided. MCA assessments were carried out to check if people had capacity to make certain decisions.

There was a formal complaints procedure. People were aware of how to make complaints and staff knew how to respond to complaints in accordance with the service’s complaint policy.

Staff participated with people in activities such playing games and going outside. People’s preferences in activities were recorded in their care plans.