Bluebird Care (Stockton and Hartlepool)

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 newly registered 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 80 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff were all very enthusiastic about their work and spoke kindly and respectfully of the people they cared for. A staff member told us, “People’s choices are always respected, and we consistently try to go above and beyond to ensure they are cared for in the best possible way.”

Care plans placed emphasis on maintaining dignity at all times and evidenced a caring approach. They contained detailed information to help staff support people appropriately and the language used throughout care plans was very respectful.

People and their relatives told us staff were kind and treated them with dignity. “I never feel rushed by the carers – in fact sometimes they stay longer than the agreed time to finish tasks. They never mind doing this.”

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.

People’s records contained a high level of person-centred detail including their likes and dislikes to guide staff in how best to support them. Staff paid attention to people’s individual needs and responded accordingly when these changed. A staff member told us, “We respect changes in [people’s] preferences and support them to make choices wherever possible.”

Wherever possible the same team of staff supported people. This ensured continuity of care provided by staff who were known to people. A person told us, “I get the same carers mainly – there aren’t many changes.”

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

People were mostly happy with the care they received and the staff who supported them. A person told us, “The care workers are brilliant.” Staff recognised the importance of promoting independence. A member of staff told us, “We encourage people to do as much as they can for themselves, offering support rather than taking over. This helps maintain their dignity and confidence.”

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. A staff member told us, “Even small changes or details are treated with a high level of importance and acted on promptly.”

People were happy with the way staff responded to requests. A person told us, “I can ring the office at any time, and they are always able to rearrange the visits around any appointments.”

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.

The provider recognised the pressures staff faced in the current economic climate. Staff were paid for both travel time and mileage to ensure they were fairly compensated for the full duration of their working day. The rate paid for mileage had recently been reviewed due to the increase in fuel costs.

The provider gave several examples of times they had gone above and beyond to support staff in a variety of ways including at times of family illness or bereavement. Practical and financial support had been given to staff when they were struggling with access to transport. This additional support had often ensured continuity of care for people as staff were able to continue working instead of taking time off.

Staff consistently described feeling highly valued, respected and supported. Feedback received from staff highlighted the provider’s compassionate and person-centred approach to their individual circumstances. Comments included, “[The support I get] extends beyond work, as my family are also considered when planning rotas.”, “The service is very supportive of staff wellbeing. My workload is manageable, and I have a good work-life balance” and “I have always been treated with respect and made to feel like part of a family.” Staff told us the provider’s willingness to be flexible with rotas where possible had made a significant difference to them.

The provider implemented a range of robust support mechanisms, including regular, meaningful supervision and frequent informal wellbeing check-ins. These ensured staff felt listened to, supported and empowered in their roles. A staff member told us, “On-call support is always available and answered promptly, and we receive support almost immediately when working in the community.”

The registered manager explained how they had changed their approach to staff meetings. Where they had originally been scheduled only when it was considered necessary from a business perspective, staff had expressed a desire to meet more regularly. As a result of this feedback, more regular meetings were scheduled, and these often incorporated a social get together to help with team bonding and strengthen working relationships.