Bluebird Care (Swindon)

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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.

The manager discussed core values with staff in team meetings and inductions. The manager told us their vision is to provide the best care and to treat everyone with respect and dignity. Based on the feedback we received from people, staff worked in line with these.

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.

The manager was knowledgeable about the service and understood their regulatory responsibilities. Leaders had completed training relevant to their role, and further training. For example, the manager was completing a level 7 qualification in senior management within health and social care.

Leaders were open and honest throughout the assessment and took feedback on board and responded proactively. Staff spoke positively about the management team. People also spoke positively about the manager.

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

There was an open-door policy at the service where people and staff could access support at any time. Staff felt able to speak up and raise any concerns. The manager told us, “We value people’s feedback.”

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.

Staff spoke positively about how they were supported to make adjustments to their role where needed. The manager also shared other examples of how they had been flexible with staff working arrangements to enable them to work safely and effectively.

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.

Leaders undertook a range of audits and spot checks to oversee the quality of the service. This was effective as we did not identify any significant concerns. As well as the manager’s audits, the company undertook annual audits from their head office, and a resulting action plan was devised following these visits, which was closely monitored. This additional oversight meant systems and processes were effective.

Staff had clear roles and responsibilities. Leaders maintained oversight of various aspects of the service such as staff development and supervision, accidents and incidents, and spot checks for staff.

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.

Staff worked well with other services, for example occupational therapists for specialist equipment, speech and language therapists, and GP’s. The manager had also liaised with another care provider to arrange joint coffee mornings for people they support.

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.

The manager explained how they had made some recent improvements to the service. They commented, “We now have [timetables] on our scheduling system, and are able to allocate the same care professional so there is more consistency for people. This allows staff get to know that person better and they can pick up early changes. For example, a couple weeks ago a person that has a regular [staff member] noticed a change and was able to report it quick enough. They were diagnosed with [a health condition] and now have treatment. Now everything has settled back down to normal.” Staff felt there was a good learning culture at the service.