We carried out an announced inspection of the service on 22 June 2018. Bluebird Care (Newark and Sherwood) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It currently provides a service to older adults. Not everyone using Bluebird Care (Newark and Sherwood) 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.

There was a registered manager in post 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.

At the time of the inspection, 71 people received some element of support with their personal care. This is the service’s second inspection under its current registration. At the previous inspection, the service was rated as ‘Good’. At this inspection the service has maintained that rating.

People continued to feel safe when staff supported them. Risks to their safety were appropriately assessed and acted on. There continued to be enough staff to provide timely and safe care for all. People’s medicines were well managed and staff understood how to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Accidents and incidents were investigated although current documentation did not always record whether recommendations made by the registered manager had been acted on.

People’s care continued to be provided in line with current legislation and best practice guidelines.

Staff were well trained and had their ongoing performance regularly assessed. Annual appraisals for all staff had not yet been completed. People were supported with their meals effectively where needed. Information was available to support staff with caring for people. Other health and social care agencies were involved where further support was needed for people. 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 support this practice.

People liked the staff. They found them to be kind, caring and compassionate. People were treated with dignity and respect and their wishes acted on. Independence was encouraged and people were involved with decisions about their care. People’s personal records were managed safely and in accordance with data protection laws.

Before using the service people’s needs were assessed to ensure staff would be able to support them effectively. People’s personal preferences for the way they wanted their care to be provided were recorded in people’s care records and reviewed with them. People felt complaints were handled appropriately and records viewed confirmed this. People’s diverse needs were discussed with them and respected and people had access to information about their care. End of life care was not currently provided, but plans were in place to train staff should this change.

The service continued to be well-led by a caring registered manager with the support of their office based and care staff. People felt they received a high quality of care and would recommend the service to others. Staff felt valued and respected and felt able to contribute to the development of the service. Quality assurance systems were effective in ensuring the service continued to provide a good standard of care for all.

This announced inspection was carried out on 15 February 2016. Bluebird Care (Newark and Sherwood) provides support and personal care to adults living in and around Newark in Nottinghamshire. On the day of the inspection there were 45 people using the service who received personal care.

The service had 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.

At the last inspection on 1 October 2013, we asked the provider to take action to maintain accurate and appropriate records. The provider submitted an action plan and told us they would be compliant by 20 December 2013. At this inspection we found they had made the required improvements.

People were supported by staff who understood the risks people could face and knew how to make people feel safe. People were encouraged to be independent as safely as possible.

People were supported by a regular group of staff who they knew. People who were supported to take their medicines received support to do so when this was needed.

People were provided with the care and support they wanted by staff who were trained and supported to do so. People’s human right to make decisions for themselves was respected and they provided consent to their care when needed.

People were supported by care workers who understood their health conditions and ensured they had sufficient to eat and drink to maintain their wellbeing.

People were treated with respect by staff who demonstrated compassion and understanding. People were involved in determining their care and support and were treated in the way they wished to be.

People were able to influence the way their care and support was delivered and they could rely on this being provided as they wished. People felt they would be able to express any issues of concerns and that these would be acted upon.

People had confidence in how the service was managed. There was a motivated staff team who felt supported by the management of the service, who looked for ways to make improvements.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we had received about the provider. We spoke with people who received personal care within their homes to gain their views on the quality of the service. We spoke with the registered manager and members of staff. We also looked at service information and care plans.

People had been involved in their initial needs assessment and felt that the registered manager respected their decisions. One person when asked about the assessment told us, “I have never answered so many questions, they were very thorough, everything was covered.”

People felt the agency was well run and flexible in meeting their individual needs. They felt the care staff generally attended their appointments in a timely manner and performed their duties in accordance with their individual care plans. People felt safe when they received support from care workers and felt confident that the registered manager would address any concerns about safety.

People told us they felt the care staff employed at the agency were suitable, honest and trustworthy. Comments included, “Most of them (care workers) are very good and helpful. Some will go the extra mile.”

The provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of service. However we found that issues identified as a result of these were not always addressed.

People who used the agency were not protected from the risks of inappropriate care because accurate records were not maintained.