|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
News from Bluebird Care Westminster - providing "Outstanding" homecare across the Cities of Westminster and London.
|
|
|
|
Welcome to our second newsletter and thanks to all for the positive feedback about our launch issue back in July.
I hope you all had a good summer, whether you holidayed away or at home. We enjoyed a fantastic day at SouthWestFest - a free Pimlico festival held in June – with a great community feel.
We were busy baking in July to fund-raise for community group, ‘Hymns and Pimms’, for people with dementia and their carers – see full story.
And we were very proud to hear that one of our live-in carers, Norma Nwango has won a national dementia award for her outstanding care work. It’s fantastic news, which has inspired the rest of the team and sums up what effective care at home can achieve.
Peter Slough
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How do we compare?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Central London care at home comparison table
|
|
|
|
We are one of 14 homecare providers covering Westminster and the City of London, but we are the only provider to have been award an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) out of a total of 70 different marks.
We received the top mark for ‘Is this Service Caring?’ category and an overall ‘Good’ report. Over a fifth (28.5 per cent) of the rating marks for other providers inspected by the CQC were “Requires Improvement” and three per cent were ‘Inadequate’.
The CQC report said Bluebird Care “had a lead role in championing and supporting people living with dementia, which also impacted on quality of life for people living with dementia who used the service and in the wider local community”. The organisation also ensured staff were specially trained in dementia awareness, including recognising the benefits of music, singing, activities and therapeutic touch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winner of national dementia care award
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norma scoops national dementia award!
|
|
|
|
When Zimbabwean care assistant Norma Nwango started to provide live-in care to Priscilla Campbell-Allen, her family weren’t sure the pair would have much in common; but a year on, Norma has won a prestigious award for her outstanding care and the two are the best of friends.
Priscilla’s family enlisted the help of Norma in August 2015. Norma subsequently had such a positive impact on Priscilla that we nominated her for the national Dementia Pathways’ Margaret Butterworth Award for Excellence in Dementia Care.
Care manager Beverley Smith said: “Norma is a very worthy recipient as she always goes the extra mile for Priscilla. She has worked tirelessly to get to know everyone in Priscilla’s social circle and all the professionals and people involved in her support. Priscilla describes Norma not as her carer but as the most important person in her circle of support and friendship.
“Norma has definitely leapt a cultural barrier with Priscilla. They have had quite different lives but now they have learned to live with each other and get on well. Norma has helped Priscilla to maintain her independence whilst living with dementia.”
Norma said: “I am delighted to have won the award. I get so much satisfaction from being with Priscilla and knowing I am making a difference to her life.”
Bluebird Care director Peter Slough added: “We are delighted for Norma that her outstanding level of commitment and care resulted in her winning the award. As an organisation we play an active role in trying to ensure that people with dementia across the Cities of London and Westminster are still able to be part of the communities they live in and Norma has ensured that Priscilla is able to lead an active social life.”
Priscilla’s niece Jane Morris said: “Norma has been a pillar of strength, someone we as a family can rely on to look after Priscilla and to calmly deal with any problems. She reliably looks after Priscilla's health and well-being, but also makes real efforts to get her out and about to the shops and to visit friends. Priscilla has formed a real bond with her, to the extent that she looks forward to her return every time she goes away for a break. Initially we had concerns that she would not easily get on as they have very different backgrounds. “
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
‘Bluebird Care Bakeoff’ raises £400
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
'The Great Bluebird Care Bakeoff’
|
|
|
|
Former Lord Mayor of Westminster and ‘older people’s champion’ Councillor Lady Christabel Flight put her tastebuds to the test as VIP ‘Bake-off’ judge at our fund-raising event for people with dementia and their carers on July 20.
We raised £400 at the first ‘Great Bluebird Care Bake-off’ at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, for members of the ‘Hymns and Pimms’ group, for those living with dementia and their carers.
Our team of workers created six culinary masterpieces with a ‘No Place like Home – Wizard of Oz’ theme and competed against each other for top place in the ‘Bake-off’ contest. Friend of the ‘Hymns and Pimms’ group Gina Goldhammer, Lady Christabel Flight, and Bluebird Care customer Thomas Bewley all helped to judge the cakes, naming trainer Sue Keating’s ‘house cake’ the winner.
Cllr Lady Flight said: “As a resident of Westminster I know how important it is for people with dementia and their carers to feel part of the community as they can feel isolated. I am also aware of the hard work and the valuable role that unpaid carers carry out within our city and I was delighted to support the initiative – the afternoon was great fun for all involved.”
We actively support the ‘Hymns and Pimms’ group for people living with dementia and their carers at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, and at the Berkeley Lunch Club at West London Synagogue, Marylebone, where we provides a care worker when needed.
Peter Slough said: “Holding a ‘Bake-off’ was a great way that we could get together and celebrate being part of the vibrant and diverse community in Westminster, as well as supporting people with dementia and their carers. It was a highly competitive, tasty and fun afternoon and everyone had a great time!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are passionate about providing the best service possible and we feel proud that following our positive CQC inspection report we have continued to move forward. Well done Norma who won a very competitive national dementia award and this demonstrates our commitment to invest in staff to achieve the best for the people we look after.
2016 has been a year of investment and growth for the team at Bluebird Care Westminster. One particularly exciting development has been the implementation of our electronic care planning system. Each staff member now accesses all care plan information on a smartphone and this is communicated back to the office team in real-time.
This is an incredible benefit to the people we look after as our management staff can see service information in real time. Any issues with medication, nutrition or hydration can be instantly addressed
Using the electronic system means we don’t rely on paper medication administration records (MAR), which are manually collected by a supervisor weeks after the actual medication has been given. If there is a problem, we can deal with it immediately.
We have also just launched our customer application for smartphone. If the customer gives their permission then we can give access to all care plan and visit record information to family members, health professionals or anyone they would like. We find this particularly reassuring for family members living outside of London. Being able to access visit record information in real time means they don't have to worry about their loved ones, they can check what has been going on at any time, whilst at work or if in a different time zone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are a forward-thinking, highly-professional care at home provider and embrace the active part that we play in our local communities in the City of Westminster and the City of London.
Our team of 70 care assistants deliver home and community care to adults with a wide variety of needs throughout both the City of Westminster and the City of London including: Baker Street, Barbican, Bayswater, Belgravia, Covent Garden, Charing Cross, Fitzrovia, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, Lancaster Gate, Lisson Grove, Little Venice, Maida Hill, Maida Vale, Mayfair, Marylebone, Millbank, Paddington, Piccadilly, Pimlico, Queen’s Park, Regent’s Park, St James’s, St John’s Wood, Soho, Temple, Victoria, Westbourne, the West End and West Kilburn.
If you would like to get in touch please call us on 020 7976 6163 or email us at westminster@bluebirdcare.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
