Bluebird Care (Reigate)

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• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 79 (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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

Staff described a supportive working culture and worked collaboratively to provide safe care. A staff member said, “It’s the best care job I’ve had — meaningful, kind, and well-supported.”

The registered manager promoted an open and transparent culture and used feedback, audits and monitoring to improve practice. For example, when concerns were identified through complaints or audits, the registered manager acted, provided feedback to staff and improved practice, which helped ensure issues did not recur and care was delivered consistently.

The registered manager engaged with people effectively, and people’s views were reflected in how care was provided. Leaders used monitoring systems to maintain reliable care delivery, ensuring visits were completed as planned and people received consistent support. These actions demonstrated how leadership influenced practice and contributed to positive outcomes for people, including safe, person‑centred and reliable care.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

People received a personalised service from a well-led team of staff. Managers and staff told us they were passionate and committed to providing high quality person led care. A staff member said, “The office staff who support us all have a care background, having been carers themselves which really makes a difference. I know I can discuss any concerns I have about my rota or travel time and know my concerns are listened to and resolved.”

Staff spoke highly of the office staff and management team and told us they felt valued. A staff member told us, “The leaders have a lot of experience and knowledge. If we have a problem, we can speak to them and they always help. They are fair and respectful, and they make sure we have the support we need to do our jobs properly. They also make sure we receive the training we need and keep it up to date, and they are always available to help and make sure [people] are getting good service.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff had access to a whistle blowing policy. Staff were confident appropriate actions would be taken if any concerns were raised. Staff told us they felt supported to speak up, knowing the provider would want to know if something was wrong, to enable them to action concerns quickly. A staff member said, “At Bluebird Care Reigate we operate an open office policy where the customers, carers and family members are welcome to pop in at any time. We have a separate meeting room within the office which can be used at any point, this provides privacy for conversations that may need special care and attention.” Another staff member said, “They encourage us to speak up in meetings and whenever we have concerns. One time I mentioned that there was not enough travel time between visits because of traffic, and they adjusted it. They listen to staff and take action.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff told us they were treated fairly by their managers, were well supported and encouraged to develop their skills. A staff member said, “They try their best to treat everyone equally. They supported my flexible work arrangements.”

There was an up-to-date equality, diversity and human rights policy in place, and all staff completed equality and diversity training, fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

The provider had robust governance systems which assisted the registered manager and regional team to carry out audits and ensure the providers standards were maintained. Spot checks were completed frequently, to ensure staff carried out their duties correctly and to make sure people were happy with the care they received.

The registered manager monitored the quality of care and maintained oversight of care delivery and staff practice. Leaders reviewed information from monitoring, feedback and complaints, identified concerns, and took action to improve practice. For example, a relative told us when they shared feedback regarding the compatibility of staff, action was taken by the service to resolve. A member of staff spoke about the governance and told us the service was, “Very well organised and well managed.”

The service had notified the CQC of key incidents as required. Effective action had been taken following incidents, and the registered manager had shared information with relevant parties as required.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

Staff worked in partnership with external organisations to ensure people’s needs were met and risks were managed appropriately. For example, staff worked with hospital discharge teams to coordinate care packages, which ensured people received support without delay and reduced the risk of gaps in care when returning home.

Staff also worked with healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists and district nurses, to respond to changes in people’s needs. This included arranging reassessments, additional support and equipment, which helped people remain safe and independent in their homes.

The provider also worked with family members and representatives to support collaborative decision‑making, which helped ensure people’s preferences were understood and responded to promptly. These arrangements improved continuity of care and contributed to safer, more responsive support for people.

The service was embedded in the community it serves and told us that it was important they were considered a valued partner by others in the community. The registered manager said, “We are offering coffee mornings within retirement villages, so people know about activities in the area…[We are] working with [a registered charity] and we do charity events to support them.”

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

The provider had a quality improvement plan in place and demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement, effective leadership oversight, and a focus on delivering safe, responsive and person‑centred care.

Staff contributed to learning, improvement and innovation and were involved at every level. Staff reward schemes rewarded staff for innovation and improvement. Meeting minutes evidenced collective problem solving and reflections of improvements and innovation. A staff member said, “The service involves staff through training, supervision, communication, feedback and updates. Staff can raise concerns or suggest improvements through the office or management.” Another staff member said, “Staff are encouraged to share ideas and feedback. Management listen to suggestions and use feedback from staff, customers and families to improve the service.”

The service had utilised artificial intelligence (AI) in a responsible way to drive sustainable improvement. For example, they had used AI to review daily notes for key information to produce critical care notes which required prompt attention. They had also benefited from an AI bot to support staff and enhance their day-to-day role. The registered manager said, “We have a new AI bot called [name]. Carers have now received a new link…Instead of needing to look for policies they can ask a question [to the AI bot] and the AI bot can link to what staff need to do and show them the relevant policies [or process to follow].” This reduced time for staff and enabled them to access key information in a timely manner.