Bluebird Care (Merton)

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People described staff as kind and caring.

Comments included, “All is going well at the moment and the carers are lovely.” and “The carers are truly so aware of maintaining my dignity.” A healthcare professional also shared positive feedback, saying, “My impression is that staff from Bluebird Care interact with my client in a respectful, calm, and person-centred manner. They communicate clearly, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and support my client in a way that promotes dignity, autonomy, and choice.”

Care plans included information about people’s cultural and religious preferences where this was important to them, which helped ensure care was delivered in a respectful and personalised way.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People and their relatives told us that staff knew people’s personal histories and healthcare needs well. One person told us, “There would appear to be a fully comprehensive knowledge of my needs and support on file and the carers know and have read this.”

People’s hobbies, interests and daily living support needs were prioritised in line with the relevant areas of their care plan. Regular reviews were carried out to ensure any changes in people’s preferences, choices, or care needs were identified and responded to in a timely way. The service also used spot checks to monitor staff practice, which helped provide assurance that staff understood people’s needs and interacted with them in a respectful way that recognised their strengths, aspirations, and individual goals.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff encouraged people to maintain their independence while continuing to monitor their safety to reduce health and safety risks. People told us they were supported to do as much as they could for themselves. One person commented, “As far as is safe to do so, I am encouraged to do a little for myself.” Staff also demonstrated a clear understanding of promoting independence without taking control away from people. One staff member told us, “We encourage clients to do things for themselves. Sometimes they need reminding that they can do it, as they used to. We do not take over their life; we make sure they are still in control.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Systems were in place to ensure people were supported promptly when required. In the event of an emergency, staff received ongoing support from the office. Staff remained with the person until appropriate help arrived, such as an ambulance, and accompanied people to hospital when needed. This helped ensure people felt supported and safe during emergencies.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were supported through a range of recognition and reward initiatives. These included schemes such as ‘Newest Carer’, ‘Carer of the Month’, and ‘Carer of the Season’, which recognised good practice and commitment. Staff birthdays were acknowledged through paid leave, and awards and certificates were used to recognise staff contributions. This helped promote staff morale, motivation, and a positive workplace culture.