During an assessment under our new approach
About the service
Bluebird Care (Sheffield) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. The service provides domiciliary care, specialist care, companionship and palliative care. It also offers a night roaming service, which delivers short, scheduled care visits to support individuals with continence care and repositioning needs.
Who the service is for
Bluebird Care (Sheffield) provides support to younger and older adults, including people living with dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments. It also supports a number of people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of the inspection, 90 people were being supported with the regulated activity of personal care.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 11 June 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
We assessed the service against the ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We found the service was working in line with the guidance.
The service demonstrated a positive learning culture, where feedback, training and reflective practice was used to continuously improve the quality of care being delivered. People and staff told us they felt they could raise concerns, which the registered manager investigated effectively. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent.
The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. People told us they felt safe when receiving care from the service. We found safeguarding processes and systems were robust and staff told us they felt confident raising issues about safety and felt these would be listened to and the appropriate action would be taken. A staff member told us, “If I suspected abuse, I would ensure the person’s immediate safety and report my concerns promptly through the appropriate safeguarding procedures.”
We checked and found that staff and management worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
Staff worked in successful partnership with other health care professionals to ensure people received effective support. Risks to people were assessed, monitored and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure safe outcomes for the people using the service. Professionals were complimentary of the services ability to act on concerns promptly, follow guidance and make appropriate referrals in a timely manner.
We found that staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality care. Where individuals required specialist support, this was effectively provided by the service. Staff were recruited safely, with all necessary pre-employment checks completed. In addition, regular competency assessments and supervision were in place to ensure staff received the support they needed to carry out their roles confidently and safely. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and there was a positive culture within the service.
Care plans were person centred and provided staff with detailed information on how to support people based on their assessed needs, choices and preferences.The service had effective systems in place to ensure people’s voices were heard and documented during the assessment and review process, this ensured people’s feedback was gathered and any concerns acted upon in a timely manner. A staff member told us, “Care plans and risk assessments provide clear information that helps me deliver safe and effective care. I encourage people and their families to share their preferences, wishes, and concerns so that care remains person-centred.”
Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and delivered support in line with people’s preferences. We saw evidence of people’s independence and choice being respected and promoted. The service shared with us numerous examples’ of where their support had achieved positive outcomes for people. A staff member told us, “People are encouraged and supported to access community activities, appointments, and social opportunities that promote independence and wellbeing.”
Leaders had clear roles, accountability, and effective governance systems in place to deliver high-quality, sustainable care. They maintained strong oversight of performance and risks, using audits and reviews to drive continuous improvement. The leadership team was skilled, approachable, and acted with integrity. We received positive feedback from people, relatives, and staff regarding the leadership, highlighting their openness and responsiveness to concerns. Staff told us, “I believe the service is well-led. Communication is effective, and staff are supported to provide high-quality care.”