Bluebird Care (Elmbridge & Runnymede) provides care and support to people in their own homes. There were 83 people using the service at the time of our inspection, 60 of whom received personal care as part of their support package. Three people received live-in care. Two people’s care was funded by the local authority, the remainder paid for their care privately.

The registered provider of the service is V&J Billington Limited. The provider operates another branch of Bluebird Care in Wiltshire.

The inspection took place on 22 November 2017 and was announced.

There was a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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 felt safe because staff understood their needs and any risks involved in their care. Relatives were confident their family members were safe when receiving their care and said staff made safety a high priority. They told us staff had highlighted any areas in which their family members may be at risk and implemented measures to reduce these risks.

There were sufficient numbers of trained staff employed to meet the agency’s care commitments, including covering leave and sickness. The agency’s monitoring systems helped ensure that people received a safe and reliable service.

There was a contingency plan in place to ensure people would continue to receive their care in the event of an emergency. People who would be most at risk if they did not receive their visits were prioritised to ensure that vulnerable people were protected. Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed to identify any actions that could be implemented to prevent a recurrence.

People were protected by the provider’s recruitment procedures. The provider carried out checks to ensure they employed only suitable staff. Staff attended safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities in terms of recognising and reporting abuse. Staff had reported concerns when they believed people’s safety to be at risk, which had resulted in positive outcomes for people.

Where people’s care involved support with medicines, this was managed safely. Staff attended training in infection prevention and control and helped people keep their homes clean and hygienic. Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment when providing personal care.

People’s needs were assessed before they used the service to ensure the agency could provide the care they needed. Rotas were planned to ensure people received their care from a small team of staff, all of whom had a good knowledge of their needs. People told us new staff were introduced to them before they provided their care. They said their care workers always stayed for the allocated length of their visits and had enough time to provide all the support detailed in their care plans.

Staff received the induction, training and support they needed to do their jobs. New staff attended an induction which included shadowing colleagues to observe how people preferred their care to be provided. Staff received regular refresher training and were supported through regular contact with their managers. This enabled them to seek advice when they needed it and to discuss their training and development needs.

People’s care was provided in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff had received training on the MCA and understood how it applied in their work. People had recorded their consent to their care and told us staff asked for their consent on a day-to-day basis.

People told us staff prepared meals they enjoyed and knew their likes and dislikes. Relatives said staff knew their family member’s preferences about the food they ate and any die