Bluebird care (Central Bedfordshire)

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.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity. People and relatives consistently described staff as caring, respectful and supportive. Staff took time to get to know people their preferences routines and what mattered to them which helped build positive and trusting relationships.

People told us staff listened to them and supported them in a calm, respectful and reassuring way. Staff understood the importance of protecting people’s privacy and dignity and explained how they gained consent before providing support. A family member said, “Staff do treat (family member) with respect. The staff chat with her and treat her as a human being. The staff support her well and respect her privacy. Staff wait outside the toilet until (family member) has finished and requests support.”

Care was delivered in line with people’s wishes and preferences and staff supported people in a way which promoted independence, confidence and emotional wellbeing.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of emotional well‑being and described how care was tailored to each person’s individual routines, preferences and communication needs. This demonstrates that support was not task‑focused only, but also aimed at helping people feel reassured, comfortable and maintained a person’s well-being.

People were treated as individuals and staff provided care and support that reflected their needs, preferences and backgrounds. Care plans included information about people’s routines, communication needs, cultural preferences and what was important to them.

Staff understood people well and used this knowledge to provide personalised support which promoted dignity, independence and wellbeing.

People and their families told us they were supported by familiar staff who knew them well. One person told us, “The staff treat (family member) with respect. They listen to (family member and go by (family member’s) wishes. Staff know how to treat (family member) properly. They are nice all the time. They find out what (family member) likes and dislikes and use this to steer conversations. If (family member) has something to say the staff sit and listen. The staff know if they ring the doorbell they must allow a bit of time to get to the door.”

Staff promoted choice and independence by encouraging people to express their preferences and maintain as much control over their daily lives as possible.

Staff described how they encouraged and promoted people to make decisions and remain independent. One staff member said,” I treat people with compassion as a person, allowing them to make a decision in their own time without pressure or rushing. I use information in the care plan to see how to support decision making, for example, ensuring a hearing aid is in and switched on. It is important to respect decisions and not impose my own view.”

People said staff worked with them to understand what mattered to them. Staff supported people to make decisions about their daily lives. This helped people have choice and control wherever possible. Comments included, “They listen to me when I make a suggestion,” and “They are kind and caring and listen to (family member).”

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.

Care plans contained information and staff understood how to recognise changes in people’s conditions and well-being, and how to respond to this. Staff told us concerns were escalated promptly and any amendments made to care plans were communicated promptly. One staff member explained, “Changes in people’s needs and care plans for example, when returning from hospital, are communicated to all staff via the electronic system in place.” This meant that people were provided with appropriate care to meet their current needs. One family member told us, “The staff go straight to the GP if there are changes or concerns. They are proactive in requesting support with nailcare as (family member) is diabetic.”

The provider promoted staff wellbeing and supported them to deliver person centred care.

Staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager, area supervisors and senior staff, and were able to raise concerns and share feedback with ease. One staff member said, “The manager and office staff listen to people and staff and do what they can to help.” Another staff member said,” The manager is very approachable. They take an interest in staff and their wellbeing.”