Bluebird Care (Lewes) was rated Good overall at its September 2016 inspection, with staff providing kind, person-centred care and a well-led service underpinned by strong training, supervision and quality monitoring. A Requires Improvement rating for Safe reflected incomplete risk assessments in some care plans and a manual MAR transcription process that carried a risk of inaccuracy, though no errors had occurred and an electronic system was being introduced to address this.
Concerns (4)
moderateCare planning: “one person's care plan had noted they might be at risk of developing a pressure area. However, a full risk assessment had not been completed, such as a waterlow score, and there were no written plans in place”
minorMedication management: “Staff looked at the medicines in each person's blister pack and then hand wrote a MAR. The MAR was then taken to the office and typed out by another member of staff... there was a risk this might happen.”
minorRecord keeping: “One staff member's file, who had been recently been recruited, did not contain a full employment history, but the nominated individual ensured this information was recorded by the end of the inspection.”
minorCommunication with families: “they change the roster quite often actually so I never know who's coming. It can all be a little unsettling”
Strengths
· People consistently reported feeling safe and well cared for, with highly positive feedback about staff kindness, dignity and respect.
· Staff received thorough induction following the Care Certificate, regular supervision, appraisal and ongoing training including dementia awareness.
· Care plans were person-centred, detailed and regularly reviewed every six months with involvement of people and relatives.
· Strong complaints handling with prompt investigation and use of complaints as learning opportunities.
· Well-led service with open culture, motivated staff, and committed registered manager working towards Level 5 leadership diploma.
Bluebird Care (Lewes) achieved an overall Good rating with an Outstanding rating for Effective, driven by innovative use of a real-time electronic care management app and portable health monitoring technology that improved outcomes and prevented hospital admissions. No regulatory breaches were identified and the service had improved from its previous Requires Improvement rating in Safe.
Strengths
· Pioneering electronic care management app enabling real-time monitoring, live care records, and family access to care delivery information
· Portable health monitoring kits checking vital signs with results sent electronically to healthcare professionals in real time
· Consistent staffing teams with strong person-staff matching based on age, gender, language and interests