Bluebird Care (Reigate)

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

There was an embedded culture of kindness and respect across all staff in all roles, which was entrenched into every interaction. Staff used positive and respectful language when talking about and recording information about the people they supported. Staff interacted with people in a calm and gentle manner, listened to them, and paid close attention to their body language and demeanour as a way of understanding them.

Staff told us they were highly motivated to provide support that was genuinely compassionate and kind and supported people in a way that exceeded expectation. One staff member said, “I always treat people with dignity and respect by listening to their choices, maintaining their privacy during personal care, and keeping their information confidential.” Another staff member said, “I provide care in a way that promotes dignity, respect, privacy and confidentiality by treating people as individuals and involving them in their own care.”

We saw an example where a family member had been supported beyond expectation, and where staff had provided highly compassionate and practical support to navigate the bereavement of a loved one. The caring attitude of staff and their relationships with people and those close to them were positive.  A staff member told us, “Bluebird care whole focus is person-centred care and tailored-made care; we treat everyone how we’d want our own family treated with respect and dignity and we support the family as well.”

Staff were trained to listen to people and communicate with them in a kind and respectful way. They completed courses in communication, dignity, and equality and diversity and people told us staff were caring in their approach. One person said, “They are all very kind”. Another person said, “Oh yes, definitely, they are all lovely”.

Staff made sure that people received compassionate support and took the time to get to know them, so they could understand and respond to people’s changing care and support needs, wishes and choices. One person, who had been noted to be eating less than normal, had been refusing food from staff. The care team then developed a picture menu with a range of their favourite foods. This supported the person to choose from a variety of options in a format they were comfortable with, which resulted in their food intake increasing as a result.

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.

Care plans and risk assessments reflected each person’s personal, cultural, and social needs. They clearly outlined what was important to individuals, alongside their strengths, abilities, and personal goals. This ensured care and support was tailored to each person, rather than delivered in a generic way. A staff member said, “When we have a new [person] all their relevant details are on the [electronic] system we use. We have a heading called ‘About Me’ which gives us a background on their family and working life. This also provides details of who they are as a person and includes interests they have and who or what is important to them…It’s really helpful as we can then engage in conversations with them and build trust and relationships.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s individual needs and followed care plans which guided them to deliver care in line with people’s choices and expectations. One staff member said, “Information about people’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs is available through their care plan on [the app]. This can include preferences around routines, food, communication, family involvement, personal care, religion, culture, and what matters to them. I think it is important not to assume that everyone wants care delivered in the same way. Individual preferences can make a big difference to the quality of care.”

Staff supported people to remain as independent as possible and adapted to their individual mobility needs on an ongoing basis. A person told us, “[My care plan] has changed from using a hoist to get me out of bed to using a sara steady.” This enabled the person to continue moving safely within their home environment, increasing their autonomy and independence over their movement.

Staffing rotas were mostly reflective of people’s preferences. One family member told us how carers arrived earlier on Sundays so their relative could attend church. Another family member told us their relative did not always receive calls in line with their preferences. We raised this with the registered manager who was already aware and taking measures to make the necessary amendments and improvements.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff encouraged people to maintain their independence by supporting them to do as much as they could for themselves, while helping when needed. For example, staff followed care plans that reflected people’s preferences and routines, enabling them to continue activities that were important to them and maintain control over their daily lives. A person told us, “I am the sort of person who will do it all – washing, ironing and I even trim the bushes in the garden. They don’t interfere and can see that I can manage with certain things."

People and their relatives were involved in planning care, and staff offered choices and respected decisions about how care was delivered.

The provider was exceptional in how they 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.

Staff responded promptly and could in some cases pre-empt when people’s needs changed and took action to keep people safe. Records showed staff contacted health professionals quickly when people became unwell and followed advice to provide immediate support. A relative told us, “[My relative] had a medical emergency – it would have happened even if the carer had not been there – and [the carer] contacted me a couple of times to keep me updated. [The carer] immediately called an ambulance and stayed with [my relative] until I arrived. The carer dealt with it very well”. Another relative said, “One of [my relatives] carers phoned me to say [my relative] was ill. She phoned [their practice] and a doctor came.” A staff member said, “I should always monitor the [person] and if there are any changes in behaviour, mood like withdrawal, agitation, confusion, eating habits (loss of appetite) etc. I will report to the office and let the family member (next of kin) know and [take prompt action to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress].”

Relatives reported staff were generally punctual and stayed for the full duration of their visits. When concerns were raised, including safeguarding issues, the provider acted quickly to address them and maintain people’s safety and confidence in the service. A staff member said, “If the family/next of kin have any concerns, I am able to pass these messages to the office who will work with them to solve the issue. Even if it’s after 5pm when the office is closed, we have an on-call emergency number available.”

The service monitored visit attendance through the electronic log-in and log-out system. Alerts were sent to the office team if a visit had not been attended or if staff were running late. When this occurred, the team contacted both the staff member and the person using the service to check on the situation and promptly ensure safety.

The service further strengthened its responsiveness by gathering feedback from people on a continuous and ongoing basis. In addition to regular reviews, each supervisor contacted 3 people from their caseload each week to complete a welfare call. This ensured care delivery remained aligned with people’s current experiences and needs, and allowed the provider to address any concerns promptly and responsively.

Feedback demonstrated, in addition to practical support, people highly valued the social interaction provided by staff. Leaders recognised this as an immediate and important aspect of wellbeing and used this insight to enhance care planning and delivery. As a result, care was holistic, addressing physical. emotional and social wellbeing in a timely and responsive way. For example, we saw how staff had gone above and beyond to continue supporting a person with limited family, to continue attending their local community club. Staff responded to the person’s needs as they recognised it allowed the person to maintain friendships, reduce social isolation and remain connected to the people and community that mattered to them.

Staff recognised and respected when people experienced a different reality due to cognitive impairments such as dementia. For example, we saw examples in people’s daily notes where staff had intervened in a timely manner, to prevent people experiencing unnecessary distress.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Without exception staff told us they were extremely well-supported by managers and leaders. A staff member said, “They are great people to follow and learn from.” Another staff member said, “[The provider have been] more than accommodating [of my personal circumstance and worked with me to develop my rota]. This was really appreciated as it allowed me the flexibility to still be there for my [own family] whilst also focusing on my own career and doing something I feel so passionately about…[The provider] sat with me and helped me figure out a working pattern that worked for us all.”

Staff had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns, and suggest ways to improve the service or their experiences at work. This included staff meetings, comment forms, supervisions and surveys. When staff raised feedback or made suggestions the service told them what had changed as a result. Formal feedback was provided after each survey and gave staff the opportunity to arrange a confidential wellbeing conversation with the operations director. A staff member said, “I feel supported by management and can contact them whenever I need advice. Training opportunities, regular check-ins and being listened to make me feel valued.”

Staff benefited from flexible working, appreciation tokens, award ceremonies to celebrate achievement and commitment, employee of the month awards, and social events. The provider was moving towards transferring to an employee ownership trust by 2028. This is a legal structure which allows a company to be owned on behalf of its employees. The provider said, “By working together and maintaining high standards, we contribute to a strong, positive service that we can all take pride in as employee owners.”