Meet the team

Franchise Owners: Bernadette & Hugo Mills

Since 2012, Bernadette and Hugo’s Bluebird Care franchises have been delivering home care to enable customers to remain in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. Providing the highest quality of home care and assistance is their absolute goal, and the team would be delighted to hear from anyone who is seeking support, from short daily visits to 24-hr care, for themselves or a loved one, or who would simply like to talk to someone about the services we provide.

Bernadette and Hugo Mills live in the New Forest with their three children and Tess, the dog. Having previously worked in finance in London, the couple decided to live and work locally. Once the children were old enough, Bernadette and Hugo began looking for a business they could run, giving them family flexibility and a bit of a challenge. They were also very aware of the growing local (and national) demand for care at home. Starting their first Bluebird Care franchise in the New Forest in 2012 certainly didn’t disappoint!

Driven by a passion for delivering high-quality care, they subsequently opened offices in Southampton (2015), and Totton (2016) and, in 2017, took over the Portsmouth franchise too. Yet it is not their intention to build the biggest care business, but rather to deliver the best service on a local level through staff who genuinely care. A key focus is establishing a joint partnership between all the teams to provide outstanding daily home care and live-in care.

Head of Care: Rachael Benn

Rachael has 34 years experience in the Health and Social Care sector working in hospitals, residential and domiciliary care. Rachael is a Qualified Teacher Status (QTLS), Assessor and Trainer. In her spare time Rachael likes to spend time with her family, loves to read and travel. Rachael is responsible for the overall day to day running of Care Operations across all branches.

Registered Manager, Portsmouth: Sophie Emmess

Sophie was keen to find a company that shared the values she herself stands for; compassion, looking after staff and working to provide excellent customer service. She was thrilled when she came across Bluebird Care Portsmouth. Sharing these beliefs and values, Bluebird Care provides bespoke care and ensures customers needs are the number one priority.

Having been in the care industry for more than 10 years, by working in residential homes, in the community and also supporting children, Sophie has finally found her career path. She feels very much at home in domiciliary care, as well as being part of a devoted company and a passionate care team.

Sophie has been promoted into the role of Registered Care Manager within Bluebird Care Portsmouth and is studying for her Level 5 in Health and Social Care!

In her spare time, Sophie enjoys spending time with her young family as well as running and challenging herself, completing courses like Tough Mudder and The Great South Run. We are sure that if you put any challenge in front of Sophie, she would gladly accept and conquer.