Meet the team

Franchise Owners: Bernadette & Hugo Mills

Bernadette and Hugo Mills, managing Directors,  live in the New Forest with their three children and Tess, the dog. Having previously worked in finance in London, the couple decided to work in the healthcare sector as there is an urgent need for high-quality care services in the community as an alternative to nursing homes.  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, Totton, Portsmouth and Ringwood, as they realised that people want local people to work with them. Yet, they do not intend to build the most extensive care business; instead, they aim 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 healthcare professionals working in the NHS, such as doctors, district nurses, and occupational therapists, to ensure a smooth communication process to support the elderly and vulnerable in our communities and prevent hospital admissions. Often, you will come across Bernadette lobbying with stakeholders to collaborate.

Head of Care Operations: Rachael Benn

Rachael has 34 years of experience in the Health and Social Care sector, working in hospitals, residential care, and domiciliary care. Rachael has a nursing background and has QCF Level 5 in Social health care. Now, she is working towards QCF Level 7 Health and Social Care management. She is a Qualified Teacher Status (QTLS) Assessor and Trainer. With all these excellent qualifications and backgrounds, Rachael mentors and coaches all her managers who directly report to her. In her spare time, Rachael likes to spend time with her family, read, and travel. Rachael is responsible for the overall day-to-day running of Care Operations to to ensure a safe and compliant home care environment.

Registered Manager, Southampton & Totton: Tina Dudley

Tina brings a wealth of experience to our company. From a young age, she worked in an office environment. However, due to raising a family, she started to work in the domiciliary care sector to give her flexibility.  She worked through the ranks with her organisational skills and became a regional operations director, travelling nationwide. Eventually, she decided to work in one place and manage her team. That is when she joined Bluebird Care. Qualified at the highest level in Social health care, She has the passion and dedication to manage, support and mentor our care team in the community of Southampton and Totton. She leads from the front, and she will often come out to assess more complex care customers and advise them about the various possibilities. She focuses on quality and compliance and embraces further training development for our care staff. Her drive for excellence will give our customers the best care journey possible.

Deputy Manager, Southampton & Totton: Natasha Smith

Tash is often one of the first people you’ll encounter at our branch, ready to discuss your needs and provide support in a person-centred manner. She consistently goes above and beyond to assist families on their care journeys.

With a lifelong passion for the care sector, Tash has extensive experience in community care, care homes, and residential care. She has skilfully balanced her career by raising a young family and demonstrating exceptional organisational skills. Tash holds a QCF Level 3 in Social Health Care and is completing her QCF Level 4 in Management in Social Health Care.

Known for her vibrant personality and big heart, Tash is an invaluable asset in this sector. She is an extreme team player, always supporting her care staff to ensure best practices are followed. This year, Natasha has been nominated within the Bluebird Care network as “Customer Care Expert of the Year” for her work in the community. Tash enjoys various activities with her partner and children in her spare time, including boating and caravanning. Family is incredibly important to her, a value that shines through in her interactions with all the customers she cares for.