Bluestar Care & Support LTD

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Staff demonstrated a caring approach and spoke warmly about the people they supported. A relative told us, “They talk nicely and explain what they are doing. Curtains are always drawn, and they make sure [person] feels comfortable.” Staff described how they maintained dignity during personal care, such as, explaining each step and watching for reactions.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff gave examples of offering options and respecting decisions. A relative said, “They ask what [person] wants to wear and make sure [person] is happy with the support.” Staff told us they promote autonomy through even when physical needs limit practical tasks such as, offering choices and adhering to preferred routines. A staff member told us, “My client schedules are consistent, I work with regular clients each week, which helps build trust and improve care quality.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff knew people extremely well, consideration had been given to ensure people had a consistent core staff team to build relationships and trust. Staff were aware of people’s physical abilities and encouraged independence as much as possible. Where people required additional physical support, independence was promoted through offering choices. A staff member told us, “With choices, [relative] usually keeps [person’s] clothes just outside their room, if there are different clothes we ask [person] which ones they like. [Person] will express what they want by pointing and saying [known phrase].”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Support plans guided staff on how to interpret non-verbal cues, and daily notes showed timely responses to changes. A relative told us, “If they notice anything, they call me straight away. They are good and will call for the slightest thing.” Staff described how they monitored reactions and escalated concerns when needed. Professionals confirmed staff were alert and proactive.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they felt valued and had access to training, supervision and flexible working arrangements. A staff member said, “Bluestar supports me in many ways, including regular training and guidance. Managers are easy to reach and helpful.” Another told us, “I feel valued because managers check in on me when I am in the field and recognise when I do good work. I am happy with my rota and hours too.” The provider spoke of wellbeing initiatives and employee recognition which had been introduced for staff.