Welcome to the March newsletter, we hope that you have had a lovely 2024 so far…
This month we focus on nutrition and hydration, and celebrating the achievements of our carers. We are focusing a lot on the effects of training and how beneficial it is to us.
Hi All,
As we step into spring, it’s my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to each of you to our March 2024 Newsletter, a testament to our journey together, filled with growth, learning, and shared experiences.
Reflecting on the past months, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the dedication and compassion that define our team. Your unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care has not only touched the lives of those we serve but has also fostered a sense of community and belonging among us all.
As your Director, I’m thrilled to share that this time of year brings with it an opportunity for reflection and forward planning, particularly regarding our pay structure. I want you to know that behind the scenes, I am collaborating closely with our Finance team to review our current pay framework. Our goal is to ensure that it reflects our appreciation for your hard work and dedication. While these discussions are still underway, I promise to keep you updated with any developments. Your patience and understanding as we navigate through this process are greatly appreciated.
This newsletter is packed with updates, stories of success, and opportunities for growth. From welcoming new team members to celebrating the achievements of our carers, each segment highlights the strength and resilience of our Bluebird Care family. Moreover, as we continue to advocate for a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and exercise, I am excited for us to embark on this journey of well-being together.
Let’s also take a moment to acknowledge the significant impact of our training and compliance efforts, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the standards of care expected of us. Your dedication to ongoing learning and improvement is what sets us apart in the field of health and social care.
As we move forward, I encourage you to engage with the content of this newsletter, share your thoughts, and contribute to our collective success. Your feedback is invaluable, and together, we can continue to make Bluebird Care a place of growth, support, and excellence.
In closing, I want to express my deepest appreciation for each and every one of you. Your hard work, compassion, and commitment to excellence are the backbone of our success. Here’s to a month filled with progress, learning, and continued success.
Thank You
David
Director, Bluebird Care
A big thank you to all carers who have received appreciation this month for their outsanding efforts. Its one thing providing care but its another going above and beyond, Well Done!
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We are advising all staff and carers to take up their autumn COVID-19 and flu vaccination. Eligible individuals can book and manage their vaccinations appointment online. You can follow the links below to book yours.
Book,cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Book or manage a free NHS flu vaccination at a pharmacy – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
We require information on all staff’s vaccination status as this required by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from CQC-regulated ASC providers.
When you have had these vaccinations can you please inform Karolina, via email on Karolinapb@bluebirdcare.co.uk ASAP
We also need to know if you do not wish to not have either of these vaccinations.
We thank you yet again for your continued support and engagement.
Take advantage of our £150 refer a friend fee!
Can you think of anyone who is kind, caring and compassionate? Can you think of anyone who would like a career in care? Can you think of anyone who would be an asset to our team?
Well, this could be your opportunity to take advantage of our refer a friend programme. If you refer someone into the business and they receive a job offer and successfully pass probation you will receive your £150 refer a friend payment!
Anyone who you think is up to the job can apply via our company website, when they complete the application form it asks if they know anyone who works at Bluebird, this is there time to state this!
https://www.bluebirdcarecareers.co.uk/locations/newcastle
https://www.bluebirdcarecareers.co.uk/locations/south-tyneside
https://www.bluebirdcarecareers.co.uk/locations/darlington-south-durham-and-yarm
Update to information regarding Fire Safety Referrals if you refer a customer or a vulnerable person you know outside of work, please use the ‘CONCERNS’ box to let the Fire Service know that they require support from us, or if it is a referral for a family member/friend of your own, you can add a contact number in the concerns box for the Fire Service to contact instead of the person at risk/unable to act on behalf themselves.
Anyone who has attended the Mandatory Training this year has had this training already, and this will all become clear during the Mandatory
Update training for those who have yet to receive it and will be attending training over the coming months.
Victoria Gardner, our Health and Social Care Trainer, is also an Army Cadet Force Volunteer. As part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Family through signing the Armed Forces Covenant, we have asked Vicky to write a blog on how the skills she has gained through volunteering transfer over into her role as a trainer in the business.
How does my volunteering role impact on my work role? Excellent question, well posed, but without an easy answer! I started many moons ago as an Army Cadet, looking for fun, challenges, and adventures. I certainly got a lot more than I bargained for – a lifelong passion for supporting our young people to develop their skills and become useful members of society! Being a member of Northumbria Army Cadet Force has offered me some of the most rewarding and random experiences of my life, from attending Buckingham Palace, testing Portable Field Showers for the Royal Engineers, to playing the part of our founder Octavia Hill during our 150th Anniversary! It’s been 20+ years of being tested to the limit personally, but also guiding and supporting a varying mix of young people, from cadets who come from severely disadvantaged backgrounds to those who have complex medical and behavioural needs, the skills I have gained cannot be quantified by exams and certificates.
Volunteers within the Army Cadet Force (ACF) are also varied, I work with and manage veterans, healthcare professionals, teachers, police officers, social workers, office workers, mechanics, delivery drivers and stay at home parents, (to mention just a few occupations) and the combined experience and knowledge they bring to the table is invaluable. Like most occupations, skills can be taught, but having fundamental core values are what we seek, to provide guidance to our youth. If I can guide and support just one person along the right path, then the positive affect that will have on the local community is priceless.
‘How do you know how to do that?’ is a question I have been asked on numerous occasions. I have gained numerous transferable skills through my voluntary role. I give thanks to the Ministry of Defence, Reserve Forces and Cadet Forces Association and Senior Officers, who have offered me various opportunities to attend courses that interested me. I am a qualified shooting coach for example, but there cannot be much call for you doing that at work, I hear you say. Most definitely not! However, there are many transferable skills that I can use in my day job. From planning, attention to detail, public speaking, conflict resolution, the skills I have gained from my volunteering have played a huge part in how my career has developed over the years.
Completing a Level 3 Award in Education and Training through the Ministry of Defence has led to me changing direction within my care career. I have been instructing throughout my time with ACF, qualified by completing Military Instructional Courses but had never had a civilian teaching qualification. Within my role, I deliver First Aid Training, over the years anyone could teach First Aid who had completed the relevant instructor’s course and then the world changed again. Compliance, IQA, CPD and other lovely acronyms were being bandied about. To ensure the quality of our training, instructors were required to have a civilian teaching qualification. However, what about all the years of quality instruction delivered without a certificate? How were we to get instructors with a teaching qualification, when we were all volunteers, working in our ‘real life’ jobs as well as volunteering – where were we to find the time to become qualified?
Fortunately, the Level 3 Award in Education and Training was looked at and reflective experience, learning and delivery were applied. The information was sent out – Anyone who wished to remain qualified to deliver First Aid, had to hold a relevant teaching qualification and those of us dinosaurs who had been around forever, packed our bags and headed off for a week at our spiritual home in Surrey, known as Frimley Park. A full-on week of all things First Aid, as well as delivering teach backs, having performances videoed, and evaluated by our peers and tutors followed. An intense time but completely worth the stress and headaches when we all completed and achieved our award.
It was just the beginning however, as I continued in my then civilian role, in care as a manager, I continued developing my voluntary role. Delivering First Aid courses to young people aged between 12-18 years and ensuring all the adult volunteers hold First Aid Qualifications. Alongside, developing my interest in Mental Health First Aid and delivering our Healthy Minds Course across Northumbria ACF.
Many managers I have worked with in the past have been driven by results and had little understanding of wellbeing. One thing that I have linked between my young people and the people we look after in my care role, is the effect of good nutrition, hydration and exercise, on over all well being and physical health. This can also be applied to our work force and our volunteers too. If we can maintain this golden triangle, we can have a positive affect on attitudes and behaviours, but also this can support those with physical conditions to achieve better all-round health.
By having managers who understand what well-being is and how to support their customers and staff, we can reduce the amount of customers who require hospital interventions and hospital stays and also the amount of staff sickness related to poor wellbeing.
We sometimes pay lip service to wellbeing, however the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Customers and staff who are well looked after and whose wellbeing is prioritised contribute to the smooth running of the business.
We hope this message finds you well! We’re thrilled to announce an exciting new initiative that we believe will not only showcase the incredible work you do but also help inspire and connect with our community in a whole new way.
Introducing our latest marketing project: a series of videos highlighting the stories, experiences, and invaluable contributions of our dedicated care assistants. This project aims to shed light on the meaningful relationships you build with our customers, the challenges you overcome with compassion and professionalism, and the joy you bring to those you care for each day.
We’re reaching out to you, our amazing care assistants, because we believe that your voices deserve to be heard. Your insights, anecdotes, and reflections can offer a glimpse into the heart and soul of Bluebird Care, showcasing the passion and dedication that drive everything we do.
Here’s how you can get involved:
Share Your Story: We invite you to share your experiences as a care assistant at Bluebird Care. Whether it’s a memorable moment with a client, a personal journey of growth and learning, or a message of encouragement for your fellow caregivers, your story matters.
Participate in Interviews: We’ll be conducting video interviews with care assistants who are willing to share their perspectives on the rewards and challenges of caregiving. This is an opportunity to speak from the heart and connect with our audience on a deeper level.
Spread the Word: Even if you choose not to participate directly, you can still support this project by spreading the word and encouraging your colleagues to get involved. Together, we can make this project a success and amplify the voices of our care assistants.
If you’re interested in participating or have any questions about the project, please reach out to our Digital Marketing Executive Erin Kilford at erinkilford@bluebirdcare.co.uk.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to share your story and contribute to our community in a meaningful way. We can’t wait to hear from you and bring your stories to life through this video project!
Previously there has only been one national Trustpilot account for Bluebird Care. This caused problems when gaining a true reflection from branch to branch. However, the Trustpilot account has now been split up and we all have access to our own location profile, enabling us to have our own local Trustpilot score, which feeds into the overall national score.
This is a massive opportunity to let our Bluebird Care branches shine! Leave us a 5-star review by following the links below.
We focused a lot on nutrition and hydration, with a lot of social media posts and eBooks to go with it.
Make sure to share them on Facebook and this may help with your daily care.
We have created a meal planner and meal ideas to help with ideas and organisation for your care in the future. Your customer can even use these for themselves if you would lie to print and download them.
Welcome to this month’s newsletter and updates. I’m sure you will have noticed that the business continues to change and evolve, and this will be the case for the upcoming months and beyond. Since joining, the team have found ourselves having to work hard to get to grips with where the business was regarding the people we employ and the way it was ran and managed. I will be the first to say there have been mistakes made as we have tried to address the issues and challenges encountered and I must accept responsibility for these but, I also want to reassure you that the changes I have initiated and implemented, have been and always will be with the intention of making the service we deliver better, safer, and more effective than it was.
We have recently held carer drop ins, which were well attended and were very positive from our perspective. Constructive criticism was given, and I am committed to learn from this and implement a “you said – we did” approach to these meetings. I cannot promise that we can fix everything or accommodate everyone’s opinions and ideas but what I can commit to is that we will listen, we will invite feedback and we will continue to grow, change, and develop in the best way we can. It can be easy to focus on the negatives in life and what doesn’t work but, we sometimes need to consider where the service has been and where it is now and I am convinced, improvements have been made. We have a better recruitment, induction, and probation process, we have better, more robust systems that keep you and our customers safe. We have better accountability and responsibility across the management team, but we know more is needed. I would definitely encourage your attendance at these sessions so you can help shape and develop our business.
I know as the front facing employees of the business, you may not be aware of the work that needs to be undertaken to affect change, to make sure it is safe and that we can meet the requirements of CQC and the almost endless regulations required to be deemed safe and compliant. Our last 6 months has been about building these foundations and giving us the platform to now develop and improve how you, as care assistants, work, are supported and deliver on our commitments to our customers. Feedback from those drop ins have shown you now feel that the managers are more present, you are being seen more often, we are now far more into the detail of what happens in the community, and this allows us to be safer and better at what we do.
This work will now be underpinned by the fact that have put in place a caseload for the managers. This means each manager will be allocated to manage specific customers and their care packages. This will mean they will be responsible for carrying out visits, reviews, and assessments. It also means that you now have a consistent point of contact to raise questions and concerns with. It also means you will be supervised, observed, and managed by that person and will be, if you haven’t already been informed who that person is. This will help promote consistency and continuity of management for your and the customers.
When calling into the office, many of you will have spoken to Nicola, the new coordinator in the team. Nicola, since arriving has made a very positive impression and we have been impressed by the quality of her communication and caring approach to how she interacts with those people calling in. This has now set a standard to be maintained across the team. This also makes sharing the news that she will be leaving us that much harder to give. Nicola has enjoyed her time with Bluebird, expressing that she has loved getting to know you, the customers, and the team in the office and she was very positive about the values and principles we are setting across the business but felt the role is not quite the fit she was looking for at this time. I would like to reassure you all that whilst it may be unsettling to see people leave the business, the fit needs to be right for everyone and if this is not quite right, for any reason, then it is best to move forward. The coordination role is very fast paced, multi-faceted and can by stressful. Finding someone with the skill, personality, and character to fill this is going to be a challenge but we hold to our principles and standards, and we will get this right. I would like to thank Nicola for her time, effort and wish her all the best for the future.
I would like to end on the note that David, the senior management team, and I have exciting plans for growth in 2024, with the intention to grow our live in service, develop and expand on our contracted services as well as the private domiciliary side of the business. We have committed to a new recruitment process, investing heavily in services to support us with this. This will give us the resources to grow, succeed and secure our future as the premium care provider across Newcastle, South Tyneside and Darlington. With your continued support and hard work, we will be stronger together.
Thank you.
John
At Bluebird, we recognise the need for our workforce to be healthy. Most importantly we understand the paramount importance of maintaining a healthy heart. That’s why we advocate regular physical activity as a cornerstone of heart health. Engaging in exercise isn’t just beneficial – it’s vital. In our induction training we discuss how to look after our Mental Health, but our Physical Health is just as important.
From reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases to improving overall well-being, exercise plays a crucial role in enhancing longevity and quality of life. Participating in physical activity doesn’t have to be expensive; there are plenty of very affordable ways that we as a team stay active and healthy from walking outdoors to frequently taking part in sports activities.
The care industry often comes with numerous challenges, making it a constant uphill battle for employers like us. One of the primary struggles is finding qualified candidates that are fit for the role. The demand for care services is consistently high, driven by an aging population and increased need for home care support. This is why we are taking a stand to provide a fair future for our care assistants, so they can be paid for their efforts.
The health advantages of exercise are widely acknowledged. Specifically for the heart, it can significantly lessen the risk of heart and circulatory diseases which in turn can help extend your life expectancy. Engaging in physical activity also helps:
– Boosting your energy levels and enhance sleep quality
– Improve your mental well-being
– Regulate your weight
– Alleviate symptoms of your heart and circulatory conditions such as angina pain in the long run, facilitating daily activities and expanding capabilities
– Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing the likelihood of heart-related ailments like heart attacks, strokes, and vascular dementia
– Easing your stress levels.
It’s natural to be cautious about exercising with a heart condition. However, most individuals can still benefit from staying active. Generally, improving muscle and lung function reduces strain on the heart. Nevertheless, consider the following before starting:
– Medications: certain medications may impact exercise. For instance, beta blockers affect heart rate and may induce fatigue. Discuss options with your doctor to find the most suitable medication.
– Heart conditions: some may necessitate assessing the suitability of activities or their intensity. If you use GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) spray for chest pain, consult your doctor or pharmacist on its compatibility with exercise.
– Implantable devices: most people with devices like implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) or pacemakers can exercise safely, typically engaging in moderate intensity activities and avoiding high-impact sports.
– Listen to your body: only exercise when feeling well enough. If symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, or unusual shortness of breath arise, consider scaling back and consult your doctor.
– Weather considerations: extreme temperatures can strain the heart during exercise. In such cases, opt for low-stress activities like stretching.
Consult your doctor/GP before commencing any physical activity. They can address concerns you may have, provide condition-specific advice, and ensure you’re able to safely participate in exercising.
Various types of exercise offer distinct benefits:
– Aerobic exercise: activities like walking, cycling, or gardening, which elevate heart rate and promote cardiovascular health.
– Balance and flexibility exercises: practices like yoga or tai chi enhance flexibility and stability, reducing the risk of injury.
– Resistance exercise: strength training through weights or resistance bands strengthens muscles, alleviating strain on the heart.
Active lifestyles can include simple activities like playing with grandchildren or gardening, as long as they elevate heart rate.
Moderate exercise induces warmth and slight breathlessness, such as brisk walking. Intense exercise, like running or swimming, causes heavy and fast breathing.
To determine the right intensity, employ the ‘talk test’ during activity. If you can comfortably converse while feeling warm and slightly breathless, you’re at an appropriate level. Begin gradually and listen to your body. Even short sessions yield significant benefits. Distribute exercise evenly across the week, allowing for rest days to aid recovery.
Prepare effectively for a more fruitful exercise session:
– Gather necessary equipment, wear suitable attire, and keep water and a towel handy
– Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal well before exercise for sustained energy. Opting for high-fibre, wholegrain options such as oats, pasta, rice, breads, and cereals is recommended. Carbohydrates supply the sustained energy required to power your exercise regimen
– Arrange your exercise space, whether at the gym or home, ensuring ample room and minimal interruptions
– Warm up and cool down with stretches to reduce injury risk and enhance flexibility.
And don’t forget to enjoy exercising whatever the intensity. Whether it’s the thrill of a run, the satisfaction of mastering yoga, or the togetherness in a group class, embracing the joy of movement makes workouts fulfilling. Infuse fun into your routine to stay motivated and committed to a healthy lifestyle.
It only takes a few minutes and we’d be extremely grateful for your help! It helps increase brand awareness and strengthen our online presence so we are able to attract more customers and great like minded staff into the business.
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Review from Debbie S (Care Assistant)