This announced comprehensive inspection took place on 14, 15 and 16 March 2017.

The service provides personal care to 56 people, in their own homes.

The service requires 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.

Bluebird Care (Wirral)) had a registered manager who had been in post for two years.

The service used safe systems for recruiting new staff. These included checking references and a criminal conviction check using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for criminal records.

People told us they were very happy about all the aspects of their care and support in their own homes. We found that the service was appropriately staffed, with staff being competent and well trained. They had an induction programme in place that included training staff to ensure they were competent in the role they were doing at the service and received on-going training. Staff told us they felt supported by the senior staff and the registered manager.

The care was person centred and individual to each person’s needs and the manager and care staff kept accurate and up to date records of the care they delivered. Staff knew how to safeguard people from abuse and report any concerns.

Risk assessments were carried out for people and where they needed help they were given support to administer their medication.

The service was monitored effectively for quality and people using the service were listened to and treated with respect and dignity. Any complaints were dealt with effectively and the outcomes were recorded.

The provider had complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and its associated codes of practice in the delivery of care. We found that the staff had followed the requirements and principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff we spoke with had an understanding of what their role was and what their obligations where in order to maintain people’s rights and were aware of the differences in the implementation of the MCA in a person’s own home.

We undertook an announced inspection of Bluebird Care (Wirral) Domiciliary care Agency on 11 February 2015. We told the provider two days before that we were going because the service is small and the manager is often out supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We also spent time on the 16 February 2015 visiting people in the community and making telephone calls to people and their relatives. Bluebird Care (Wirral) provides care and support to 27 people living in their own homes in the community.

During the two days we spoke with a total of eight people using the service. We telephoned seven of them and visited one person in the community. We also spoke with five relatives involved in the care of the people. We talked with five members of staff, the new manager and the provider.

The new manager has been in place since December 2014 and is currently registering with the CQC to be the registered manager. There has been no registered manager in post since October 2014. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At our last inspection on the 14 February 2013 we found the service was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Five people using the service told us they felt safe. Staff were knowledgeable in recognising signs of potential abuse and followed the required reporting procedures. The three care staff we spoke with were able to tell us how they ensured that people were protected from abuse. All staff had received training about safeguarding and this was updated every year. There were enough qualified and experienced staff to meet people’s needs.

Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide the required support and care. There was an on-going recruitment drive at the service where safe systems of recruitment were being followed.

The five staff we spoke with knew the people they were providing support and care to. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people and their families were involved in making decisions about their care. All of the people told us they were happy with their carers and that they followed the care plan.

People were supported to eat and drink. Staff supported people to meet their healthcare appointments and liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as required to meet people’s needs.

Care plans had been developed to inform staff what they should be doing to meet people’s needs effectively. All of the staff we spoke with knew the people very well and in discussions were able to tell us what care and support they provided. Staff also liaised with other healthcare professionals to obtain specialist advice to ensure people received the care and support they needed.

There were systems in place to assess the quality of the service provided with action plans implemented when issues were raised.