Bluebird Care (Croydon) was rated Requires Improvement overall following a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led, driven primarily by a breach of Regulation 12 due to unsafe medicines administration and ineffective audit processes that failed to identify these issues. Strengths included a caring staff culture, robust safeguarding practices, safe recruitment, and effective infection control.
Concerns (6)
criticalMedication management: “Some people's 'when required' medicines had been given as always required medicine and some people's always required medicine had been given as 'when required' medicine.”
moderateMedication management: “The provider did not use body maps to record where people's medicine patches had been placed on their body. This meant the provider was not following NICE guidelines.”
moderateIncident learning: “The registered manager told us analysis of accidents and incidents was carried out annually. This meant lessons were not always learned in a timely manner.”
moderateGovernance: “The provider's audits had not identified the issues we found during our inspection.”
minorCare planning: “Some people's risk assessments did not include detailed and personalised information about their individual level of vulnerability to COVID-19.”
minorMissed or late visits: “They come twice a day but are always late, they can be from half an hour to an hour late. I do wish that they would call me when they are running late.”
Strengths
· Staff received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report abuse; safeguarding incidents reported appropriately and in a timely manner.
· Sufficient number of suitably qualified staff with safer recruitment procedures including DBS checks.
· Infection prevention and control followed best practice guidance.
· Positive, person-centred culture described as open and inclusive, achieving good outcomes for people.
· Provider understood duty of candour and communicated openly and honestly with people and families.
Quality-Statement breakdown (13)
safe: Using medicines safelyRequires improvement
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongRequires improvement
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementRequires improvement
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsRequires improvement
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careGood