Bluebird Care (Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea)

The last rating for the service was outstanding (published 19 April 2018). Following this assessment, the rating has remained outstanding.

The provider worked collaboratively with other professionals to deliver exceptionally person-centred care. They coordinated hospital discharges and made sure people were safe when they returned home after hospital stays. Their support extended beyond care tasks and included advocating for people, liaising with discharge teams, coordinating transport and arranging equipment. The provider partnered with a local nursing home which provided rehabilitation and a community physiotherapy team. Their teamwork ensured people received a holistic package of care which led to life-enhancing outcomes.

There was a culture where staff and others working with people had a deep understanding of their individual needs, preferences and choices. Managers worked closely with people to assess and plan personalised care. They frequently found ways to overcome barriers and support people to achieve personal objectives, even when other professionals had initially thought these were not achievable.

Staff had exceptional knowledge of the individual people they cared for. Staff were encouraged to regularly go above and beyond expected care to provide meaningful support, which enhanced people’s health, wellbeing and social connections. Staff were empathetic and kind. The provider matched staff personalities and interests to reflect the wishes people had expressed.

There was an extremely person-centred culture which was driven by skilled, knowledgeable and experienced managers. They had robust systems for monitoring the quality of the service and driving continuous improvements. Managers valued staff wellbeing and recognised this as an essential part of the organisation. Managers were visible and role-modelled the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. At the time of the assessment, the service was not supporting many people with a learning disability, but the provider had regard to ‘Right support, right care, right culture’. Staff undertook specialist training to better understand people’s needs. The provider was committed to ensuring information was accessible and staff knew how to communicate well with the people they supported. The provider enabled positive risk taking and encouraged people to be independent and learn new skills.