Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside: FIRST EVER Home Care Provider to reach Gold Standards!

Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside are making waves amongst the home care community as they are the first home care provider ever to reach Gold Standards Framework accreditation!

The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is an evidence based systematic approach to formalising best practice through improving the organisation and coordination of care for all people, with any condition, in any setting, for their final year or so of life. Around 800 teams of GPs, hospitals and hospices have reached the milestone since GSF began in 2010, with the accreditation never before being awarded to a home care provider.

According to updated figures Homecare.co.uk, there are just shy of 9,000 home care providers within England alone, totalling 10,113 across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside have made waves within the home care community with their achievement of this following on from a systematic recalibration of how their palliative care is provided.

The award perfectly rounds off an already landmark year for the home care provider, who reached their 10^th anniversary this autumn. Throughout the decade, the provider has consistently advanced in their training of staff, keeping abreast with all updated legislature, as well as providing ongoing support and training for all of their employees, affectionately referred to as Bluebirds and ‘smile makers’. Throughout this time, Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside have grown in numbers with both staff and clients, and have recently relocated into a larger office within Boldon. Their new base boasts a comprehensive training room, larger office for their behind-the-scenes staff and even a zen room, which is open throughout office hours for any of their staff to take a time-out to refocus and recharge. They hope that their new home will serve as a welcoming hub for the community once the effects of Covid-19 are further behind us all, looking to host coffee mornings and arts and crafts clubs for their families, customers, and wider community in the future.

Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside are set to receive the prestigious GSF quality hallmark across the country during the virtual ceremony. Julie Armstrong-Wilson, Lead Nurse for GSF said: “Congratulations to all organisations that have successfully achieved accreditation. This year we have seen our first ever Domiciliary Care provider receiving the award trailblazing the way for others to follow. The GSF team are so very proud of all our Award Winners, as there has never been a more important time to ensure we deliver quality end of life care, well done!”

End of life care is an emotive topic which many find to be a difficult conversation, despite the relevance to us all. A carefully strategised care plan discussed between the client and the home care provider allows an individual to live their last as they would most wish in their own environment, with preventative measures and open communications allowing many to avoid unnecessary trips to hospitals, which may disrupt their wishes. Home comforts, freedom of visiting family and friends along with staying amongst beloved pets is often considered the most ideal setting to pass, which many of us would favour over clinical backdrops and regimented visiting hours. The GSF accreditation has certified that Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside not only consider personal wishes in their care plans, but also that they prioritise the happiness of their customers and wider family, removing potential for a myriad of external stressors which could present should a plan not have been prepared.

The Award has been given as part of the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Virtual Awards on 11^th November, which recognised health and social care providers delivering quality care in the final year of life. Behind the award is a particularly grateful team who have worked to reinvent their home care practices providing the best support possible to their clients, as they recognise the value of a person and the surrounding family being able to live in a way which is not only most comfortable for them, but also the most enjoyable.

Director of Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside, David Haswell, understands the impact of the award and is incredibly thankful to all members of staff who have participated in the research and restructuring over the last 2 years which has culminated in the accreditation, amid the additional and inconceivable difficulties faced by the industry throughout the battle of COVID-19. He says, “not only are we the first, but we also received one of the highest marks available. A big thank you to all involved, I cannot reiterate how hard they have had to work over the past 2 years to get this over the line. Yet again, we are challenging and leading the way home care is provided in the community, strengthening our position as the Number 1 Home Care Provider in the area.”

If you’re feeling that home care is the next step needed for your family, or you’re looking for a change in provider, contact Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside on 0191 341 0190.