Bluebird Care (Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea)

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding.

This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

This service scored 89 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People were supported to genuinely express their wishes and preferences. These were always placed at the centre of their care and support. Managers and staff took their time to get to know people and found innovative ways for them to express their preferences. For example, staff supported 1 person who was recovering from an illness and personal bereavement. They were overwhelmed by the situation. Staff got to know the person and what was important to them. They provided support for the person to access the belongings and hobbies that were most important to them. This work helped the person to demonstrate their skills and feel empowered, leading to their improved mental and physical wellbeing. The provider embraced the opportunity to provide people with personalised support which went beyond their clinical needs and recognised what was important to them. The provider was able to share multiple examples of individual support by empathetic care workers who understood and valued people’s individual preferences. For example, wearing makeup was very important for 1 person. The care worker helped the person with an outing to have a makeover. The care worker supported the person to purchase makeup items which they then helped apply back home on a regular basis. Another person who was initially resistant to care was supported by a team of regular care workers. They provided reassurance and a gentle introduction to care. They supported the person on a personalised relaxing trip into the country. This helped to develop their bond and trust, so the person felt more comfortable to accept care. Another care worker supported a couple to bake a traditional recipe which was important to them.

People and their relatives told us their needs were well met, and the agency was responsive when they requested changes. Their comments included, “Bluebird are very flexible and responsive to [person’s] needs”, “[Person’s] care has been adjusted as [their] needs change. The company is very good at increasing and decreasing levels of care” and “They accommodate any changes we request, even at short notice.” The provider gave us examples of people who they cared for who had improved in health or mobility. They had recommended care hours were reduced when safe to do so, for people to have more control and independence.

The provider embraced inclusion, ensuring people were able to make choices and received responsive joined up care. For example, a care worker supported 1 person to achieve their goal to drive again, encouraging their confidence and supporting them to access driving lessons.

The provider proactively identified challenges and worked in partnership with others to overcome these. Managers coordinated discharges from hospitals and care homes. They worked with other professionals to ensure people’s voice was central to decision making. For example, they worked with 1 person who was at risk due to the cognitive impact of living with dementia. They carried out a comprehensive assessment with other partners and developed a care plan which helped to mitigate these risks and valued what was important to the person. They recognised the person felt unsettled when first returning to their home. They continued to assess the person to find out about their established routines, preferences and habits. The provider recognised the impacts of dementia and how consistent support and routines helped to reduce anxiety. They shared their learning with other professionals involved in the person’s care.

External professionals explained that the joined up working and continuity of care helped to improve the quality of people’s lives. Their comments included, “[Managers] regularly visit when I am introduced to a new client. They provide thorough background information and offer support during sessions”, “The presence of care workers [during health appointments] has provided people with reassurance, comfort and the opportunity to build trust”, “The close communication ensures we work collaboratively to provide safe and appropriate care” and “There are robust handover processes between our services.”

People using the service were supported by the same familiar care workers and managers. Each person had a dedicated manager who they could liaise with to discuss their care. A relative explained, "Care has been excellent and reliable thanks to a super confident care coordinator who oversees everything. They work with us, we can get in touch with them, and they help work out the programme of care." Managers explained people received visits, phone calls and took part in reviews with a manager/senior staff member who they were familiar with. People received care from a dedicated team of care workers who understood their individual needs.

People received the information they needed about their care and the service. People were given a file containing their care documents and key information about the agency. People and their relatives told us they could request information when needed. The provider supported people with translated information, large print and easier to read guides when needed. The provider employed staff who spoke a range of languages. The registered manager told us they were able to provide care workers who spoke people’s different language needs. The provider produced a quarterly newsletter which provided people with a range of useful information and links.

The provider assessed people’s individual communication needs and preferences. They made sure care was delivered to meet these needs and they understood the ways in which people wanted information shared.

The provider listened to and involved people in making decisions about their care. People told us they were happy with the contact they had with managers and the agency. Their comments included, “Communication is very good by email and phone” and “When I had a concern, they dealt with this in a sensitive way.” People had opportunities to give feedback through regular phone calls, meetings with managers and reviews of their care. There was a suitable complaints procedure. People told us they were familiar with this.

The provider ensured people received seamless care, helping them to overcome barriers and access the services they needed.

The provider supported people with disabilities to be as independent as possible. For example, they worked with 1 person who was experiencing frequent falls due to their condition. The person was reluctant to engage with care. Managers worked with the person’s relative to introduce care at a pace which was right for them. They monitored risk and identified times of the day when the person was most at risk. Because of this, they could design a care package which helped to keep the person safe. As a result, the person experienced less falls. Managers made referrals for people to have the equipment they needed to stay safe, recommended why this was important to the person and their families, trained staff to use this and monitored safety. This allowed people to access support and services they had not previously been able to.

In another example, 1 person who used the service required a specific piece of equipment to independently function at home. Without this, their quality of life was significantly impacted. The company supplying the equipment and therapists arranging this had attempted to deliver the equipment 6 times but were unable to get this into the person’s home due to the layout of their home and the size of the equipment. One of the managers at Bluebird Care liaised directly with the company providing the equipment to find a solution. They recommended the equipment was disassembled to bring it into the home and then carefully reassembled. This required careful coordination and planning as well as assessing the risks. This was led and organised by the provider. In addition, the person being cared for did not speak English. The provider ensured staff who spoke the person’s first language were present to explain the plan and reassure the person on the day of the delivery. The solution worked, the person became more independent and their wellbeing improved because of this.

The provider supported people to have trips, outings and holidays away from home. They carefully planned these events, ensuring people could access transport and the venues, making sure people had access to toilets, medicines and their care needs could be met whilst away from home. Managers carried out comprehensive risk assessments and discussed these with people to make sure their wishes were central to decisions about the arrangements.

Staff supported people to attend medical appointments, places of worship and to access transport. Managers and staff advocated for people and found ways to overcome challenges including difficult access arrangements in the venues people visited. People and their relatives confirmed this. Their comments included, “They take us for any appointments we need”, “They support me to attend Church and to go shopping” and “The staff are very good at manoeuvring the wheelchair safely when we go out.”

The provider made sure people felt able to access managers when they needed. They provided a 24 hour on-call service. Managers carried out assessments at the weekends and out of hours if this was the time people or their relatives wanted and needed.

The provider learnt from things that went wrong to improve the service for everyone. For example, they identified that 1 person attending hospital did not have accessible information available to share with hospital professionals. Because of this, they reassessed documents for everyone and made sure ‘hospital passports’ were implemented for everyone. These documents helped people to receive the right support from others who could quickly learn about their needs, including communication needs.

The provider ensured equity in experiences and outcomes. Managers assessed and planned for people’s diverse needs. They made sure barriers to providing care were identified and mitigated. Staff liaised with people and their relatives to make sure they experienced equity and good outcomes.

Staff undertook bespoke training to understand about the specific needs of people who they cared for and supported, in addition to training centred around equality and diversity.

Many people being supported by the agency were living with dementia. The provider recognised the impact of this for people and their families. They ensured care plans were centred around people’s individual needs. Staff took time to get to know people well and to support them with things that were important for them. The provider offered guidance and support for families.

The provider celebrated different religious festivals and special events, supporting people with their individual needs. The provider arranged gifts and cards for people and staff as part of this. Staff supported people to attend places of worship. A care worker who shared a religion with 1 person they supported, ensured they were always working and available to escort them to their place of worship each week. Staff supported another person with accessing their place of worship, including arranging accessible seating. They also supported the person to play an active role in worship by assisting them to give readings.

The provider offered support within the local community to different religious groups, not just those who were receiving regular care. For example, during Jewish High Holy Days, the provider worked with a local synagogue to offer free practical support, help with mobility and companionship to people who needed this to help them connect with their faith and traditions.

The provider ensured people’s preferred pronouns were recorded and used by staff.

The provider supported people to plan for the future and to have comfortable and pain free end of life care. Staff worked closely with external professionals to understand people’s health and personal care needs at the end of their lives. Staff provided support for people and their families during this time. Including examples of when staff had stayed with people in the last few hours of their lives, had helped wash and care for people after death and had offered assistance, comfort and care for relatives.

The provider adapted people’s care plans, according to their needs, during the last few weeks and months of their lives to reflect what was most important for them. This included adjusting staffing arrangements and making sure people could remain at home when this was their choice. The provider ensured people were supported by familiar staff at this time. These staff understood when to escalate concerns to doctors and palliative care teams to make sure people received the right support.

Staff supported people to plan life events and their future when needed. This included supporting people to move house. Staff helped people to plan and achieve personal objectives such as visiting important places and improving their mobility or independence.