This inspection took place on 12 and 18 October 2017 and was announced. This was to ensure someone would be available to speak with us and show us records.

Bluebird Care Durham North is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. Not everyone using Bluebird Care Durham North receives regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. On the day of our inspection there were 13 people using the service, nine of whom were receiving personal care.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like 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. The registered manager had been in post since the location was registered with CQC in October 2016.

This was the first rated inspection of Bluebird Care Durham North.

The service had a robust recruitment procedure in place and appropriate checks were carried out before they employed staff. Staffing levels were appropriate and any absences were covered by the provider’s permanent staff. The provider used an electronic roster system that took into account people’s preferences with regard to the care staff allocated to support them.

People who used the service received effective care and support from well trained and well supported staff. New staff completed a thorough induction, training was up to date and staff received regular supervision sessions.

Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and staff and these described potential risks and the safeguards in place. The provider and staff understood safeguarding procedures and in practice they followed them.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines.

People were supported with their dietary needs, and to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. People who used the service had access to healthcare services and were supported with their health care needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People who used the service and family members were extremely complimentary about the standard of care provided by Bluebird Care Durham North. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

People were supported with their religious and cultural needs and the provider had an equality impact assessment in place to ensure they had identified any gaps in how they were able to support people from minority groups.

The provider had an end of life policy to ensure people’s dignity and human rights were respected wherever possible at this important time.

The service was focused on providing person-centred care. Person-centred is about ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support plans and their individual wishes, needs and choices are taken into account.

The service was very responsive to people’s changing needs and the needs of family members who were their relative’s carers. People’s care and support was planned proactively in partnership with them and their family members.

The provider used a tool to evaluate and plan the current and future needs of people using the service. The tool allowed the service to make a clear plan of the person’s future care.

The service had developed innovative ways of protecting people from social isolation and supported people with meaningful engagement and conve