Working together
Bluebird Care and Maple Ridge Basingstoke in new partnership
Bluebird Care is delighted to have launched an innovative new collaboration with Maple Ridge School in Basingstoke. The project started in September 2024 and, after only the first term, is already making a huge impact on the teaching of the curriculum at the special educational needs (SEN) school, with Bluebird Care providing a dedicated team of care experts to support pupils in the classroom with their personal care and nutrition & hydration needs.
Initially, a core service of two Bluebird Care Experts was commissioned for the academic year, which was quickly supplemented by a third at short notice for the majority of the Autumn term due to an unforeseen staff absence at the beginning of September. The flexible nature of the service has since allowed a fourth Care Expert to be added for ad hoc days to enable members of school staff to complete the review of Education Health and Care Plans.
This is having a profoundly positive effect on the lives of both pupils and staff, as teachers are no longer relied upon to deliver personal care and can instead focus much more time on meeting the children’s educational needs to ensure they achieve the best possible outcomes.
Merry Christmas!
Tracey Webb, Care Manager and Ciniso Kamurendo, Care Expert of Bluebird Care pictured donating a Christmas Box of art materials to Vicki Clovis, Headteacher Maple Ridge School as a present to say thank you to the pupils who designed Bluebird Care’s Christmas Card this year.
Maple Ridge School website
Bluebird Care's 2024 Christmas card
featuring artwork created by children at Maple Ridge School, Basingstoke.
Maple Ridge School is a special school for pupils with moderate to severe learning disabilities aged 4 to 11 while Bluebird Care provides care for children, young adults and older people in people’s own homes, day centres and supported living environments as well as special schools.
Vicki Clovis, Headteacher of Maple Ridge School, said:
Demand for places at Maple Ridge is rising and at the same time we are making provision for children with increasingly complex needs. This has been putting a huge amount of pressure on my teaching and support staff and so finding a partner to work with to manage the provision of personal care and support in our school has been hugely beneficial for everyone. The service Bluebird Care provides ensures we have high quality staff when and where we need them and with the skills to be able to support our children with their needs. The staff that Bluebird Care provide have been the same all term and so our children have benefited from being able to build meaningful relationships and trust with them to really get the most out of the partnership.
Phil Miles, Director of Bluebird Care, said:
We’re delighted to be working with Maple Ridge School and make a difference to the lives of their pupils and teachers. It's great to be able to move our outstanding care from the home to the classroom, exactly where it’s needed. Vicki has a fabulous team at Maple Ridge and the way she has welcomed and integrated Bluebird Care staff into the school shouldn’t be underestimated and is a key factor in the success of this project so far.