Bluebird Care (Swindon)

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 86 (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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People received person-centred care. Care plans promoted the delivery of this by including people’s preferred care routine. People said staff supported them in line with their preferences. During the assessment, one person commented they would like a later call time. We raised this with the manager wo told us they would arrange a call with the person to discuss this.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People benefited from a small and stable staff team. Staff were allocated to small groups of people which further promoted continuity of care. The manager commented, “This has enabled stronger, more consistent relationships to develop between customers and their care professionals, who are now better positioned to recognise early signs that a customer may be unwell.” Care was provided in line with people’s needs and preferences.

The manager also told us, “We use PASS, a scheduling system to continuously monitor our customer-to-care-professional ratio, ensuring that all visits are covered both in the short term and several weeks ahead. The system enables us to create dedicated [schedules], providing clear visibility of staffing levels and confirming that we have sufficient capacity to meet every customer's care needs.”

We reviewed a case study in relation to a new Wellbeing and Customer Support Lead role the provider had created. This new programme involved working closely with local doctors and GP practices to support early identification of changes tio people’s health.

The case study demonstrated how the introduction of this dedicated role had strengthened the provider’s approach to proactive health monitoring and early intervention. The manager commented, “The Wellbeing and Customer Support Lead provides an additional layer of support by visiting customers regularly to monitor their vital signs, including blood pressure and temperature, and to assess their general wellbeing.”

The case study also showed that these visits helped identify changes in people’s health, which enabled concerns to be escalated more effectively and allowing customers to receive timely medical assessment and intervention.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

People received copies of the rota in advance, so they knew which staff were supporting them. The manager commented, “Some customers prefer printed rotas, others request email communication, and some choose text messages. We also provide alternative formats for documents such as surveys when required.” People said they knew how to contact the office if needed.
 

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People were invited to complete surveys about their care. These were conducted every 2 months and then a more in-depth survey was sent out twice a year. The manager told us how they had used the results of the surveys to create an action plan and were able to demonstrate real impact. The manager commented, “Last year, we did a survey about what could be improved [following a change in management]. A couple of people said they would like to do more in the community and with other customers. We held a staff meeting and also asked what could be improved for staff and people to improve engagement. We made an activity plan for each month plus big holiday celebrations. This included ‘race for life’ [a charity run], school memories and coffee mornings. This brings everybody together in a social environment to make sure mental wellbeing is uplifted.”

The manager told us how one person, who previously was unable to leave their home, had attended one of these social events and met a friend for life. The manager said, “During a Christmas meal – 2 of the customers sat next to each other and got talking, they exchanged numbers and they still keep in contact once a week. They are forever talking about how much they enjoyed meeting the other person, it’s really nice to see a smile on their face.”

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People received their care visits at the scheduled time and felt able to access support from the office. Staff supported people to access healthcare where needed.

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.

The manager conducted regular equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) assessments which were regularly reviewed, to ensure staff were doing all they could to promote EDI. These assessments were meaningful and we saw actions were taken following these, for example including arranging training for staff on gender pronouns [terms to reflect people’s gender identity].

The service also employed a dedicated wellbeing lead for people receiving care. The manager commented, “This has enhanced the connection between our customers and the office team, giving customers greater confidence to share concerns, feedback, and compliments openly. The role also allows us to closely monitor the well-being and mental health of our more vulnerable customers, ensuring that appropriate support is identified and put in place whenever it is needed.”

The manager considered EDI in all aspects of their role. For example, the activities programme which had started following people’s feedback showed consideration for protected characteristics. The manager identified training needs for staff to ensure EDI was upheld. The manager told us, “This ongoing commitment helps to ensure that equality and inclusion are not treated as separate activities but are embedded in the everyday running of our service.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Where people had ‘Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) decisions in place, these were clearly documented in care plans and easily accessible for staff and paramedics.

The manager explained how these were regularly monitored. For example, they noticed that some people had received these from hospital and therefore had contacted the GP to discuss this further to ensure it remained necessary.

The manager had conversations with people about end-of-life care and we saw evidence of these discussions taking place.