Bluebird Care (Uxbridge, Ickenham & Hayes)

On this page

• 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 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 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.

People and relatives were happy with the service with comments including, “We have no complaints. They are very good”, and “We are very happy with this agency.”

The provider had a vision and culture strategy which identified the values of the service which was shared with staff. Staff said they felt supported by the registered manager and senior staff. Their comments included, “Best thing is the way we get support from our superior, and we get to know so many different things and the way of communication”, and “The best thing about working in Bluebird is they are very helpful and cooperative, the team members solve problems quickly.”

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 and relatives felt the service was well led. A person said, “It is a well-run agency, and we would recommend them. We are very happy with this agency and can chat with the office at any time.” People also felt able to raise any concerns with the registered manager and other senior staff.

Staff said they felt supported by the registered manager and senior staff. They told us, “Our manager is supportive, they always listen and support”, and “We are a very close-knit team with a blend of practical skills and interpersonal abilities, emphatic and compassionate.”

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

Staff said they were confident to raise concerns and discuss issues with senior staff. People and relatives had no complaints but understood how to raise any concerns with senior staff. They said, “I have no complaints at all, but I am always talking with staff in the office”, and “I have no complaints, but I do have a number if necessary.” The registered manager told us there was a whistleblowing policy and it was discussed as part of the induction training and through supervision and team meetings. The registered manager said, “We have an open culture in the office and staff can come and speak to senior staff when required.”

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.The registered manager explained that they had staff from a range of cultural and religious backgrounds which helped meet the specific needs of people who were being supported. They matched a person with a staff member who shared a specific language or cultural needs which meant the person could feel more comfortable when receiving care. Staff felt supported by senior staff and a staff member said, “The best aspects of working for Bluebird care are a supportive management, flexible working hours, and a positive work environment.”The registered manager told us they worked with staff to support them in relation to their family and religious needs. They said, “We treat staff fairly and get staff to book dates for celebrations and religious festivals.” The provider ensured staff had the opportunity to practice their faith.The provider had care worker of the month and year awards. The registered manager explained staff providing care could progress to senior roles including supervisor and office roles through internal development.

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 a number of quality assurance processes in place to monitor the service, and the care provided. These included checks on care plans, visit records completed by staff and call times. They carried out a monthly trend analysis audit which reviewed the number of falls, medicines, refusal of personal care, late attendance for visits and staff sickness. The provider had a business continuity plan which identified what actions should be taken to ensure the service continued running in case of an emergency.

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.

The provider worked in partnership with healthcare professionals involved in people’s care which included GPs, physiotherapists and district nurses. Records of their interactions were maintained, and care plans were updated to reflect their involvement. They also had contact with day centres they supported people to attend.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. Staff undertook a range of training with regular refresher courses to ensure they were up to date with current legislation and best practice when providing support. The provider obtained feedback from people and relatives through regular surveys, spot checks and reviews of care plans. A person told us, “They do ask for feedback sometimes and we talk about any possible changes that might happen but at present it is all going along as it should be.” They also obtained feedback from staff on their experiences of the service through surveys and team and supervision meetings. The provider had a range of policies and procedures which they reviewed regularly to ensure these were up to date. The lessons learned following incident, complaint and safeguarding investigations were shared with staff so they could implement actions to improve the care provided.