Bluebird Care (Wiltshire North)

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 79 (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.

Staff told us the management team demonstrated the provider’s values in the way they worked. All the staff we spoke with told us about the values of the organisation and the aspirations the newly appointed directors had for being recognised as a leading company for providing homecare.

The culture was inclusive, transparent and focused on continuous improvement. Leaders promoted equity, diversity and human rights and ensured these principles were reflected in policies and in practice. Staff told us they felt empowered to challenge poor practice and share ideas for improvement, and they were confident their voices were heard. This openness created a strong sense of trust and accountability across the service.

We saw evidence of collaborative working between leaders and staff to embed person-centred care. For example, team meetings included reflective sessions where staff discussed real scenarios and explored how organisational values overlapped with best practice such as NICE guidance and Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.

Leaders encouraged innovation and celebrated success, reinforcing a culture where learning was valued and shared.

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, accredited advanced training, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty

Feedback we received from both staff and relatives showed that leaders were compassionate, accountable, inclusive and trustworthy. Staff were happy and confident in how to perform their duties. Comments included, “[Leaders] are client focussed” and “Managers are caring and lovely, I can go to them for anything”.

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

The provider had a whistleblowing policy which had been reviewed, and staff knew how to raise concerns. All people were regularly contacted by leaders and asked to provide their honest feedback about the care they were receiving from the provider.

Staff told us they were confident if they raised a concern leaders would take the appropriate action. Staff felt the registered manager was approachable and supportive. One relative told us that when they had to raise a concern, they were listened to and their comments were actioned immediately by leaders.

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.

The provider had processes for staff to request flexibility in their work patterns, for example to enable staff with caring responsibilities or those with health conditions to remain working. Staff were aware of these processes and told us they felt supported by the management team. The manager told us they tried to accommodate staff requests wherever possible. Staff had received training in equality, diversity and inclusion, and managers told us every staff member was assessed under the equality, diversity and inclusion framework. The EDI framework is a structured process used to assess whether a policy, procedure, service, decision, or change could have a different impact on people with protected characteristics and to identify actions needed to promote equality and inclusion

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 completed a range of audits and observations of staff practice to monitor the quality of the service. This information was used to plan improvements. For example, gaps in staff knowledge were identified and then used as a basis for staff spot checks and competency assessments. This meant risks of a closed culture among staff were mitigated.

Leaders told us directors met with the team weekly. These meetings had topics that were discussed each week. For example, recruitment and retention was discussed with leaders. This meant a solution-based approach to care and support was embedded within the organisation, and directors had oversight of operations.

Records showed the registered manager had oversight of any accidents, incidents or near miss events. There were formal processes such as staff recruitment, induction and supervisions and a range of up-to-date policies and procedures, which staff told us was effective and met their learning and support needs.

Although the service had systems in place to gather feedback from people and their relatives through surveys and informal discussions, governance processes were not as effective as they could be in ensuring this feedback was acted upon. Records showed themes and concerns were identified; however, there was limited evidence of analysis and action planning. Leaders were therefore unable to demonstrate how feedback had been used to drive improvement or enhance people's experiences of care.

The provider was exceptional in 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.

This included a situation where a person’s needs had recently changed. In order for the person to receive the right support, the provider ensured they had open communication channels with their GP service. Managers had also used their experience to suggest improvements to the local health service. This included highlighting what adjustments would be useful for a person, before the occupational therapist (OT) visited.

The provider told us they worked with a range of other professionals to help make sure people received continuity in their care. This included handover and transition periods from the community team for people with learning disabilities.

The provider understood the importance of accessing the community and supported people by arranging days out and gatherings. People told us the provider regularly arranged coffee mornings and support sessions. Managers confirmed this by telling us they held regular friendship circles for people. Comments from people included, “Since receiving care from Bluebird, I have felt less isolated and welcomed when I go to the coffee mornings,” and “The impact of these get together on my well-being is immeasurable.”

The provider demonstrated a commitment to supporting the wider community by delivering dementia awareness talks to members of the local bowls club. This helped increase understanding of dementia, reduce stigma and challenge common misconceptions, enabling people to feel more confident in supporting friends, family and neighbours living with the condition. By sharing knowledge and practical advice, the provider promoted a more inclusive community where people affected by dementia could feel better understood and valued. This proactive approach extended the provider's impact beyond the people they directly supported, strengthening community links and contributing to improved awareness, compassion and social inclusion for people living with dementia.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people and used learning to improve care and support.

. Governance systems were used to review incidents, people's outcomes, feedback, audits and staff performance. Information gathered was used to identify trends, strengthen practice and improve people's experiences. For example, , introducing structured health review checkpoints supported timely referrals. This resulted in people receiving earlier diagnoses and appropriate treatment, helping to improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of deterioration.

The provider promoted a culture of learning throughout the workforce. Staff told us learning from incidents, best practice guidance and changes to people's needs were regularly discussed through team meetings, supervision and competency assessments. This helped ensure staff knowledge remained current and that learning was embedded into day-to-day practice. One staff member told us, "We use team meetings as learning points for us all."

The service also worked creatively with healthcare professionals to develop personalised solutions when people's circumstances changed, helping them maintain independence and achieve better outcomes.

A culture of curiosity and innovation was evident throughout the organisation. Directors did not wait for concerns to arise before seeking improvement; they actively sought feedback, benchmarked performance and used learning from audits, incidents, complaints and compliments to strengthen outcomes further. As a result, people consistently experienced support that evolved in response to their changing needs and aspirations, and outcomes continued to improve over time. Leaders could clearly evidence how their oversight, analysis and actions had led to tangible, sustainable improvements in people's lives.

The provider actively looked beyond the organisation to improve practice and outcomes. Directors networked with healthcare professionals and other providers to share learning and identify good practice opportunities. They also supported wider community initiatives, including dementia awareness sessions and social events that reduced isolation and promoted wellbeing. As a result, people benefited from a service that continually reflected on its practice, adopted new ideas and adapted support to meet changing needs and aspirations.