- Homecare service
Bluebird Care East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft
Assessment report published 29 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 23 June to 26 August 2026. Bluebird Care East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft is a homecare service, which provides support to people of all ages in their own homes. Bluebird Care provides both a visiting service and a live in care service. Not everyone using the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care and, where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this assessment the service was supporting 96 people with personal care.
We carried out this assessment because the service was newly registered on 11 April 2023 and had not yet been assessed or rated. This was a comprehensive assessment, which was completed remotely, and covered all quality statements. Following this assessment, the service has been rated Outstanding.
Bluebird Care East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft offered an exceptional service to people. People worked in partnership with the care staff and management team to develop and tailor the service to meet their needs. Staff and the management team also worked exceptionally well with external professionals.
The service demonstrated a strong and embedded culture of learning and continuous improvement. The management team actively encouraged staff development and reflective practice, ensuring the service remained forward-thinking and responsive to change. This was supported by effective governance systems and a clear commitment to maintaining and improving quality.
People received safe care and support from well trained and competent staff. The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety based on openness and honesty. Staff and the management team took appropriate actions to ensure lessons were learnt from safety events. Risks associated with people’s care were identified and managed to keep people safe. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. People received their medicines as prescribed. The provider employed sufficient staff and followed a robust recruitment process, which ensured suitable staff were carefully selected.
People's needs were thoroughly assessed and support was delivered in line with their preferences. Referrals were made to other professionals when necessary and in consultation with people using the service. The provider always planned and delivered people’s care and treatment in full collaboration with them.
People and their representatives were overwhelmingly complementary about the service. They told us staff were extremely caring and always highly respectful. People were treated as individuals, were at the centre of their care and always fully involved. People were supported to set personal goals based on their strengths, aspirations and unique backgrounds. People felt listened to and were able to exercise their choices and preferences. Care and support was consistently delivered in a way that promoted people’s independence and enabled them to develop and maintain their confidence and essential daily living skills. Staff consistently adapted their approach to meet people’s individual needs, which promoted their wellbeing and helped people achieve outcomes that mattered to them.
Information was provided in formats to suit individual communication needs. Everyone using the service received fair and equal access to opportunities, interventions and advice. People had lots of opportunities to share their views and opinions about the service. People were happy with the support they received and felt they would be listened to if they needed to raise any concerns.
The provider’s values were fully embedded into the governance framework and the management team ensured these were consistently maintained. The provider, staff and management team were highly motivated to providing an excellent and reliable service, which meant people consistently achieved good outcomes.
Staff’s wellbeing and development was a priority. Staff were well supported in their role and felt valued. There were staff recognition schemes in place and staff had access to opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. A comprehensive training programme was in place and staff were supported with career progression.
The provider and management team were visible, extremely knowledgeable and supportive. Staff felt able to give open and honest feedback, they were treated equally and were free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were passionate about providing a positive experience for people. The management team ensured equality of experiences, outcomes and quality of life for people and actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.
People's experience of this service
People and their representatives were overwhelmingly complimentary about the service and the support they received. They told us the care staff were extremely kind and caring and said they were ‘more than happy with the support and care’. People made comments such as, “The staff are great and they are never late. If they are delayed, they will call.” “Always kind and caring and respectful. They are lovely, all of them.” “I have heard staff explain repeatedly what they are doing during personal care and they are so patient.” And, “The kindness and care shown to [relative] by all the staff is great and [relative] loves them all.”
People trusted the staff and felt safe whenever they visited. People and their representatives told us, “I keep going back to trust and, yes, I trust them all the time to care properly for my [relative].” “They make sure [relative] has had [their] tablets. Sometimes when they get there, [relative] has already taken them, so they phone me just to check.”
People told us they were confident that staff were well trained and knew how to support them safely and effectively. They said, “[Relative] is not particularly at risk of falls, but they do make sure [relative] always has [their] frame to hand.” “They keep [relative] safe in the shower. They sit [relative] on a chair to keep [them] safe.” “[Relative] had a fall once and [staff] did everything they should. They called an ambulance and then they called me.” And, “They follow the care plan. They support [relative] in the shower to make sure [they are] safe.”
People and their representatives knew the management team and told us the service was well organised. They also told us they had no concerns about the service but knew who to contact if they did. People and their representatives told us, “It is very well run and responsive.” “I am already telling everyone to sign up.” “Good leadership has to be in place for it to work as well as it does.” “The office staff always respond to emails quickly.” And, “It is well led. They retain staff, which is not easy today. When I ask for something doing, it’s done.”