Bluebird Care is a domiciliary care service providing a range of services including personal care for people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 68 people using the service. The service provided support to older people some of who were living with dementia.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

Management provided strong leadership, were constantly working to drive improvement and always celebrated success. Feedback from people, staff and relatives confirmed management were respected and led by example.

Staff told us that they felt their achievements were recognised and that they felt valued. Staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. We observed staff were confident in performing their jobs and when speaking with people, other staff and the registered manager.

Audits had been completed and were linked to CQC’s regulatory standards of ensuring a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The audits effectively captured the level of detail needed to provide reliable data and lead to positive change.

People, their families and professionals told us they felt the service was safe. Staff had received safeguarding training and had their competencies checked. They were aware of the types of abuse that could happen to people, what signs to look out for and their responsibilities for reporting any concerns.

The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities to notify the Care Quality Commission of important events that happened within the service. People and their families had been given information so that they knew what to expect from the service.

People who required assistance with their medicines were supported by appropriately skilled and qualified staff. They had received training and competency checks and had a good understanding of the risks associated with the medicine people were taking.

New care staff completed the Care Certificate. The Care Certificate is a national induction for people working in health and social care who did not already have relevant training. Staff consistently told us the training they received supported them to meet the needs of people safely.

Staff said they felt supported in their role. They told us they received regular supervision and had a yearly appraisal.

Staffing levels met the needs of the people using the service. Staff had been recruited safely.

Staff acted in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005.

People had good access to healthcare. This included GP’s, district nurses, occupational therapists opticians and chiropodists.

People wherever possible had care workers who shared common interests and had gained the knowledge to understand people’s individual needs. They also had a good knowledge of people’s families and others important to them.

Care files included a privacy statement which explained to people the information that the service collected about them and why they kept it and staff understood their role in protecting a persons’ privacy.

People, their families and other professionals had been involved in an assessment before the service provided any support. The assessment had been used to create care and support plans that addressed people’s individual identified needs. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the actions they needed to take to support people.

A complaints procedure was in place and people told us they were confident and concerns would be dealt with appropriately by management.

Staff were supported and encouraged to share ideas about how the service could be improved a