02/05/2014
During a routine inspection
Bluebird Care is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and/or domestic support to people living in their own homes.
At the time of our inspection the agency provided personal care and support for approximately 50 people receiving a mixture of personal care, domestic duties and personal shopping.
There was a registered manager in post who was supported by two care co-ordinators in the office and an operations manager from the parent company, Beachwood Homecare.
We found that all the people using this agency had been fully assessed before the service started. This assessment was completed prior to the service starting and ensured that the agency could provide the relevant care and support. The information from this assessment was used to formulate a plan of care that was personal to the individual.
The recruitment and selection process was robust with all new staff fully vetted before they were appointed to make certain only suitable people, who had not been barred from working with vulnerable adults, were employed to support people in their own homes. This meant that people were cared for by staff who had been thoroughly checked prior to starting work.
Staff training was up to date and staff were supported through face to face supervision meetings with their line manager. This ensured staff were fully aware of their roles and responsibilities when caring for elderly, vulnerable people.
There was an internal quality audit system in place and home visits were made by the senior staff to check on the quality of care provided. This system of audits or checks meant that the provider had a good understanding of what was good care and support.