Bluebird Care (Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea)

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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 ensured people experienced exceptional kindness and compassion. The provider supported people to express their wishes and preferences. These were central to planning and delivering care. The provider embodied an approach which enabled people to achieve personal goals.

For example, staff recognised the things that were important to each individual. This included caring for their pets. A person whose mobility had declined was unable to walk their pet dog. The care workers recognised the impact this had on the person's mental wellbeing. The provider arranged for the care staff to undertake this as part of the person's daily care package. Care workers recognised the person sometimes felt guilty and anxious about their situation. They provided care and support without making judgements. The person told the provider that this support helped them to feel comfortable and genuinely understood.

Staff always supported people when they were admitted to hospital, if this was what they wanted. The staff worked with external professionals to make sure people received person-centred care. The provider was able to demonstrate multiple occasions when this had improved people’s recovery and experience when in hospital. For example, supporting people at mealtimes and with personal care needs. Relatives commented that this was particularly important when they were unable to visit the person in hospital themselves.

The kindness of the agency and individual staff extended beyond the arranged care. For example, 1 person had moved out of the area and no longer received support from the agency. However, when they became ill and were admitted to hospital, their family contacted the agency to explain the person had started to withdraw and was giving up hope. With their relative’s agreement and in line with professional boundaries, a care worker who had worked closely with the person in previous years, visited them to provide care and support in hospital. The care worker understood the person’s needs and personality. They offered them bespoke support which led to their recovery and return home. The provider worked with the person’s family to organise and arrange future care which reflected the person’s specific needs and wishes.

Staff were exceptionally kind and caring towards people. Comments from people and their relatives included, “They are very kind, caring and respectful”, “They are absolutely lovely and have an upbeat, can do attitude” and “All the carers are very kind and often show extra kindness in little ways which [person] appreciates.” People were able to make choices about the gender of their care worker. People were also able to request care workers speaking a specific language, with a shared cultural background and shared interests. People told us their privacy was respected.

External professionals described managers and care staff as extremely kind. A professional commented, “The patience, kindness and professionalism of the Bluebird team, particularly regarding dementia care, is deeply moving. Their commitment often extends to following clients into hospital settings to ensure continuity of care.”

People felt respected and listened to. They were able to express their choices and were treated as individuals whose beliefs and needs were valued.

Managers led by example. They visited people and worked with staff when care first started. They regularly reviewed people’s care and asked for their feedback so this could be adapted. The provider worked collaboratively with others who were important in people’s lives. This helped to ensure care was always personalised and individual to the person’s needs. For example, 1 person who was living with dementia had been receiving care for several years. Their needs started to increase as their dementia progressed. The staff supported the person to create a personalised picture memory book which provided prompts for conversations. The person took this with them when they moved into a care home. The person's relatives explained this had been important at providing comfort during their transition to the care home.

Another person living with dementia found their ability to communicate their feelings and needs changed as the condition progressed. Staff knew the person loved to paint. The provider developed a care package where care workers would take the person for a walk to quiet places outside where they could relax and paint. Staff also supported them to join a local art group. They produced a number of paintings which were displayed at their home. The staff helped the person to feel pride and a sense of achievement, focussing on their creativity and skills, rather than the person's condition and physical needs.

External professionals praised the work of managers and staff in providing personalised care. Their comments included, “I have consistently found the agency to be exceptionally caring, person-centred and committed to high quality care”, “Bluebird places great emphasis on getting to know each client as an individual. They invest the time needed to understand personal preferences, goals and unique care needs” and “They are helpful, build strong relationships with clients and their next of kin. This actively supports clients in working towards their personal goals.”

People using the service and their relatives told us they were treated as individuals. Their comments included, “The carer chats to [person] about their joint love of piano playing”, “The carers provide true companionship” and “The agency is flexible with care arrangements. They have helped us to reduce the care package as [person] became more independent.”

People felt nurtured and were supported to experience opportunities which helped them thrive and had a positive impact on the quality of their lives. For example, care workers supported people to visit places which were important and meaningful to them. One person who was a musician explained to staff that places they had previously visited were important links to their life as a musician. Managers and care staff supported the person to plan a visit to these places. They carefully assessed risks and arranged the visits in a person-centred way.

The provider supported people to celebrate important events, birthdays and personal milestones. They created bespoke birthday cards celebrating people’s individuality, cakes which met people’s dietary needs and arranged special events, such as trips out.

The provider actively sought ways to enhance people’s independence. The provider supported people with varied life experiences, and staff understood how important it was for each person to maintain independence and control in daily life.

They supported 1 person who was a senior leader in a national organisation before they became ill. Managers ensured they asked the person what mattered most to them so they could arrange bespoke care which met their care needs and promoted their independence. Their regular care worker supported the person to continue to take part in their social activities and visits to public events. The person was able to continue their work for the organisation, maintain their public identity and stay socially active. They told the provider this was possible because of the relationship and mutual trust they established with their care worker.

The provider ensured care plans reflected people's wishes to be independent. They supported 1 person who needed care following an accident. The person expressed a strong desire to remain independent and have control over their life. They explained they wanted a specific care package which did not interfere with their privacy or lifestyle. Managers discussed this with the person and agreed a care plan that provided targeted support when the person needed it the most. Staff ensured the person was given privacy to manage care tasks independently when this was possible.

Another person explained they did not want the level of support that healthcare professionals originally recommended. Managers at the agency carried out risk assessments and took account of the person's wishes. They provided the level of care and support the person was happy with. Staff encouraged and supported the person to regain skills and develop confidence with their mobility and activities. The person became more independent, and the provider was able to reduce the amount of care support further to reflect this.

People and their relatives told us they were supported to make choices and be independent. Their comments included, “Staff always discuss my needs and allow me to make choices”, “My independence is encouraged and my carers work on this to help improve my freedom and quality of life” and “[Person] wants to be independent, so this is encouraged and supported.”

Professionals told us they thought the staff and managers promoted choice and independence. Comments from professionals included, “Their approach consistently promotes dignity and ensures that clients feel seen, heard, and understood” and “Staff are passionate about their roles and demonstrate genuine dedication. They have a solution-focused mindset. They show great sensitivity to the emotions clients and families experience when navigating changing levels of independence.”

Staff responded to people’s immediate needs. People and relatives were able to give us examples of how staff had been quick to respond to emergencies and when people became unwell. Their comments included, “Carers always act appropriately when [person] is unwell”, “Carers don’t panic if a problem arises” and “When [person] was unwell, the carer was excellent and coped extremely well.”

Staff were quick to alert managers when they identified a change in a person’s health, mobility or needs. The provider worked closely with external professionals to ensure people received the right support and equipment to meet their changing needs.

People using the service, relatives and staff were able to access a 24-hour on-call service and speak with managers if they needed to.

The provider placed staff wellbeing as a strategic priority. Managers explained they were committed to supporting staff mental health. They introduced schemes for staff to help support them. These included a platform staff could access for employee benefits, rewards and wellbeing applications. One of the managers was a mental health first aider. They ran wellbeing workshops and creative therapy sessions for staff. These included mindfulness sessions.

The provider also ran employee assistance programmes which included money management tools, loans and salary sacrifice schemes.

Some staff explained they had not always felt supported. We discussed this with the management team. They were aware of issues some staff had experienced. They told us they were working to address these within the team dynamics. A new registered manager had been appointed and had introduced better opportunities for staff to speak up. The provider had rearranged the office to make this a more welcoming and inclusive environment. The provider had created safe spaces for staff to speak with senior managers and each other. Senior managers regularly visited the branch and made themselves available to talk with individual staff in private.

Most staff told us they felt supported and had opportunities to meet with their line manager to discuss work and wellbeing. Comments from staff included, “I feel supported throughout my journey with opportunities to grow and progress in the company”, “My line manager ensures I understand my tasks and is always available to listen and provide support”, “I feel valued in my role and it is a positive working environment” and “There is career progression for staff who want to grow and learn.”