Welcome to your August Newsletter, we hope you are all enjoying your well deserved holidays and the lovely weather that comes with it.
This month we put emphasis on online reviews, as they show our commitment to providing premium home care. We encourage you to ask our customers to leave us reviews.
With Bluebird Care partnering with Alzheimer’s society we look into the partnership and why is benefits both parties. Keep an eye out for fundraising opportunities in the future.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and happy reading!
Dear Team,
As we step into August, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work you’ve all been doing and to look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. This month’s newsletter is brimming with updates, achievements, and new initiatives that truly showcase the spirit and dedication of our Bluebird Care family.
Firstly, a warm welcome to our new starters across Newcastle, South Tyneside, and York. We’re thrilled to have you on board and are confident that you’ll bring fresh energy and ideas to our team. And to our existing staff, I can’t express enough how grateful I am for your continued dedication, especially those who have gone above and beyond in their roles—your efforts do not go unnoticed.
Special congratulations are in order for Zara, Iain, and Debbie for the outstanding feedback they’ve received, and a heartfelt thank you to Tara Winn for a decade of dedicated service—your contributions have been invaluable.
I also want to take a moment to recognise the unseen yet profoundly impactful work of Toni Wood. Toni went above and beyond in supporting her customer during their final hours in hospital, demonstrating the true compassion that our business is built on. It is moments like these that highlight the extraordinary care we provide and the deep bonds we form with our customers.
We’re also launching some exciting new initiatives, including a pilot recruitment scheme and further training resources to support your professional growth. I’m particularly excited about our continued partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, which highlights our commitment to making a difference in the lives of those we care for.
As always, let’s keep the lines of communication open, support one another, and continue striving for excellence in everything we do. Together, we can achieve great things!
Thanks
David
Melanie Peace – Senior Care Assistant
Tracey Riley – Care Assistant
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!
“Iain provided exceptional service and chatted throughout to the customer making her aware of each step taking during personal care. Iain has gave great feedback and said he has learn a lot from Zara she is a great role model and a pleasure to work with.”
“Ray called the office and advised that Debbie completed his morning call over the weekend and said she was brilliant, he really appreciated her support and said she delivers an excellent service”
A massive Congratulations to Tara for her 10 year’s of service at Bluebird Care York, your hard work over the years has been a testament to us at Bluebird Care and we are very proud of the carer you are!
Do you have a suggestion? Submit it by clicking here.
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!
We are introducing this new recruitment initiative as a pilot scheme focused on business growth and customer onboarding in South Tyneside. Here’s an overview of the position:
Job Title: Senior Care Assistant
Company: Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside
Location: South Tyneside
Position Type: Full-time
Schedule: Day shifts between the hours of 07:00 – 22:00
Salary: £25,000 – £27,000 per annum and 0.30p per mile
Customer Onboarding: Serve as the primary support for onboarding new customers, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free care journey.
Relationship Building: Build relationships within our communities, sell our services to new customers, and upsell to current customers.
Marketing Activities: Participate in marketing initiatives, such as 20/20 leaflet campaigns.
Risk Assessments and Audits: Conduct environmental risk assessments at customers’ properties and medication audits to ensure safety.
Given the role’s focus on business growth and customer base expansion and the duties which need to be undertaken, it is a salaried position with a salary range of £25,000.00 to £27,000.00, depending on experience, qualifications, and ability to recognise business growth opportunities.
This month we are spotlighting One Touch Health and the launch of our ‘How To Guide’ videos, to help staff use the app more effectively.
These are a visual guide on how to upload documents, add money and items to customers wallets and add expenses.
The final video this month is all about the correct recording of PRN medication.
These videos will be linked to our Your Tube Channel, so that everyone can access them.
We’ve recently been teaching a lot you on PEG skills. Most frequently the questions we get in feedback are normally all relating to the nutricia flo pump.
Click the link below for some videos on how to use the pump:
Keep an eye out in the coming months for a big and influential change within the Bluebird Care community. Expect new branding and a new tone of voice that correctly reflect Bluebird Cares premium values.
Expect it to be a BIG change!
As our loved ones age, ensuring their well-being becomes a priority. While many seniors value their independence and prefer to stay in their own homes, there often comes a time when additional support is needed.
Want anything added to the newsletter? Want more social media posts about said topic?
If you believe there is anything that could be improved in terms of marketing or advertising or even if you have ideas on anything to be worked on, contact Erin at erinkilford@bluebirdcare.co.uk
Or anonymously put a suggestion in the box below!
Following the Bluebird Care partnership with Bluebird Care, we have amazing opportunities for fundraising in September, which goes national!
There will be a walk which covers every office in the North, including our offices, this will be amazing coverage for us and the more involved, the better.
Get your walking shoes ready, its going to be great!
Care to get involved? Keep an eye out…
We are the only social care provider in the north to receive this award which is a testament to our premium services. We hope this this award recognises our commitment and support that we show towards the Armed Forces, as we will move forward being a armed forces friendly employer.
“We hear from the field that staff aren’t happy, that there are issues, and that communication is poor. It is both disappointing and frustrating to hear this in the office, as we believe that we have done a lot to improve this over the last year and a half. These are some of the things we have tried to implement.
I have met with a number of staff in the last month who have raised issues. On most occasions, the issues were either dealt with already, or fixed quickly. Things have improved significantly over the previous 12-18 months, and can improve further, but this can only happen if care staff communicate with us in the office. It does not improve by complaining to each other in the field.” – Rob Mackins, Training and Compliance Manager
Rob gave a general update on the following items:
The following points were raised by the carers:
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Points Raised |
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Discussed ideas for a potential carer get together / family event. The ideas suggested were:
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Carers aren’t being briefed when going into calls for the first time. |
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It was asked how holidays are accrued if part time, in particular Bank Holidays. |
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Carers in York stated it would be nice to see David from time to time. |
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Carers not trained in how to use the wallet. |
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Frustration around runs being changed, runs being merged, etc, and these changes not being communicated. |
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Carers raised that booking holidays is much easier and efficient now. |
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When customers are in hospital they aren’t being taken off schedule. |
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Carers are reluctant to pick up additional calls in South Tyneside as it is on an hourly rate, and sometimes it isn’t worth it if there are only a handful to pick up. |
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Hello everyone and welcome to this month’s update. The summer days are with us and hopefully, this has helped with everyone’s mood as a little bit of sunshine always helps!
We continue to look at ways to diversify and grow our business and are looking to offer more packages of live in care to our customers both existing and potential. For those who have not come across LIVE IN CARE before, this is a model of care where we provide a carer who “lives in” with the customer at their home. This means they are on site with their customer 22 hours per day. This can be a fantastic model of care for people who want to stay at home but need more support than domiciliary can provide them. It affords responsive, consistent care, where excellent trusting relationships can be built, and genuine understandings reached between the customer and carers. Typically, a carer will move in with the customer for anything from 2 weeks at a time and will rotate with another carer. When in placement, the carer is fully subsidised, receiving a weekly pay (according to the complexity of the customers needs) and a food allowance. All utilities are paid for by the customer. This type of care can benefit customers who really rely on continuity of care. Customers with dementia or impaired memory respond well to the consistency of having the same carer with them as do people who may have unpredictable needs and could be uncomfortable or at risk if these needs aren’t met quickly and in the moment. We can offer complex live in care, respite live in care (care for shorter periods of time, typically up to 4 weeks) which is ideal if family are going on holiday or just need a break from their care responsibilities. We also provide End of Life, live in care for those customers wanting to follow their end-of-life pathway at home. As carers, you may see the customers you go to have an increased level of need or that their families may need extra help and support to keep their loved one safe and at home. If you do, and you think live in may be a possible solution, then please either tell them about our service or let your manager know!
As you know, Amy has been with Bluebird since June 2023, joining us as a Deputy Manager. Amy showed great resolution, effort and commitment to the role and worked very hard to make our service safer, better regulated and strived to help us deliver better outcomes to our customers and their families. Having achieved much, Amy has decided to move on from Bluebird to explore new opportunities and I’m sure you will join me in wishing her the best of luck and send her on her way with our thanks!
Your Senior Leadership Team will consider how best we adapt to Amy’s departure and will keep you updated on any developments.
As Registered manager, I must acknowledge that there still remain some barriers between the Operations team, Office functions and you out in the field. This is something we all should want to address and improve! With any business where most of the employees are remotely deployed, there is always the risk of a “them and us” feel developing. I want to take this opportunity to reassure you this is not what we want and that we will always encourage and advocate for closer, more positive relations between all employees, regardless of your role. We are actively scheduling carer drop-in sessions where you can come for a cuppa, get things off your chest, make suggestions to the team, and tell us about some of the positive things you see out doing your job. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be popular with you as a team and we have little take up on these sessions. We also send out noticeboard updates, have an open-door policy and send out newsletters, questionnaires and meet with you in supervisions. One of my biggest frustrations is that I often hear, second hand that there may be some of you upset or angry about certain things or decisions taken but they choose not to tell us. I’m sure you will appreciate, we can only learn, listen, and change if you engage with us. Now, I can’t promise that we will be able to agree to every suggestion and idea put forward, but if you want to make a change and help direct the business, then please, come talk to us. Like you, the office team are ordinary people, we make good and bad decisions, we have good and bad days, but we are all committed to do our best and make sure the customers have the best care possible within our means and capabilities. If you doubt this, then I’d happily invite you to spend a day (or even a few hours) with us and see what we do and how we do it. If that helps bridge any potential gap between us all, then great!
We have had the pleasure of hearing some real positive stories about carers who are leading the way and setting the standard across the services! It’s always a pleasure to hear this and I would like to make special mention of Zara Nisa, Iain Harkness, and Debbie Stead from the Newcastle End-of-Life team who have received outstanding feedback for their practice and care given to our customers! Fantastic work!
In the office, Courtney and Danielle were joint recipients of the Gem award. Both giving 100% to their jobs and securing some great outcomes for the business! I’m sure you all will have seen the social media releases about these great people.
I’m sure you will all of come across or experienced calls from the office regarding how you capture and record what you do in your calls for your customers. Often these will be to check tasks, medication administrations, what you have written or even asking for more details. You might also have read my noticeboard notification about this. Whilst we appreciate this might feel like “big brother” is watching and that it may feel over critical or negative from us, there is a very good reason for this. The care industry are one of the most regulated, over-seen and monitored industries there is. Everything we do has to be assessed, planned, recorded, documented and verified. The foundation to all of this is what and how you record what you do. Effective recording not only protects you should there be any incident or accident, but also the customer and business too. For example, by correctly recording what medication you have administered and when it was given can provide essential details to health care professionals such as District nurses, GPs and even hospital staff if that customer is then suddenly in need of their care and attention. You may also have experienced a time when a customer or a member of their family complainer make a allegation against you or the business. By completing detailed and factual visit notes, we can refer to these and then address them quickly and confidently. The other thing you need to consider is the work load generated by a missed task or administration of medication. If identified, the manager has to complete a multitude of forms and reports to submit to the local council, CQC and other regulatory bodies. You may think that’s their job however, time spent doing this takes them away from being able to react and support you, the customer and be visible in the community, giving support and acknowledging what you do. We have never been safer, more regulated and complaint as a business and for that, I thank every one, regardless of their role but would encourage us all not to be complacent and to continue to improve and do better with this.
Thank you for all your continued hard work and please remember, we are all one team with the same goal of providing the best care and outcomes to our customers.
I wanted to take a moment to address the recent decrease in customers that we have experienced in July. It is always difficult to say goodbye to long-standing and much-loved customers, and their absence will be felt in our community. I want to thank each of you for your dedication and hard work in caring for these individuals, as well as for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging time.
Moving forward, our focus will be on growth and rebuilding our customer levels. I am confident that with our collective efforts and commitment, we can attract new customers and continue to provide exceptional care and services to those in our community. I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to meet with me to discuss changes to scheduling and rotas, as well as your willingness to adapt and work together to achieve our goals.
I want to express my gratitude for the professionalism and compassion that each of you brings to your roles every day. Your dedication to our customers and our community does not go unnoticed, and I am proud to work alongside such a talented and caring team.
As we move forward, let us continue to support and encourage one another, and remain focused on our shared goal of growth and success. Together, we can overcome any challenges that come our way and continue to provide exceptional care to those who rely on us.
In June 2024, Bluebird Care committed to becoming become the UK’s leading specialist dementia care provider in the home as well as pledging an impressive £50,000 to Alzheimer’s Society. With a special appearance from our celebrity ambassador, Dame Arlene Philips, our Bluebird Care team proudly announced the pledge.
This month, Dame Arlene’s signed pledge will travel across the country, with staff members walking from office to office (including plenty of fundraising along the way!). Additionally, we are celebrating Bluebird Care’s 20th anniversary by hosting tea parties nationwide, all in support of Alzheimer’s Society.
Operating across the UK, the society assists people with all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. Their exceptional support includes dedicated dementia support workers, telephone support lines and impressive campaigning. They also fund cutting-edge dementia research striving to make life with dementia more manageable and get closer to finding a cure.
Many people wrongly assume that dementia is a normal part of ageing – it is not. Unfortunately, dementia is a complex condition of which its causes are not yet fully understood, but we know that it is not an inevitable part of growing old. That is why it is so important that we spread awareness about the condition.
The work that Alzheimer’s Society do is a cause close to our hearts as so many of the people we care for are living with the illness. Our care experts witness first-hand the profound impact dementia has on individuals and their loved ones. This personal experience with dementia deepens our appreciation for the vital support and research provided by Alzheimer’s Society.
And our commitment doesn’t end there. CEO, Jonathan Gardner has announced that all 10,000 Bluebird Care team members across the UK will become Dementia Friends – an initiative led by the Alzheimer’s Society to help individuals gain a deeper understanding of how people live with dementia.
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.
Just click the buttons below to go to our Google Business pages or Facebook pages and leave us some great feedback.
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.
